Round Two
by luv25
Summary: Ethan returns from his Robert and Helena induced adventure expecting to see a few changes since he's been gone, but he's shocked on just how many. The most confusing is Kristina. She's changed a lot since he left. He's missed their friendship and has some kissing up to do to make ammends for leaving the way he did. I do not own any of GH's characters.
1. Chapter 1

Johnny sat at an empty table with a tumbler of scotch and a laptop as he recorded last night's profit for the Haunted Star. He was so pleased with the consistency of the growing income that he didn't bother to look up when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Hey, mate. Did you miss me?"

The raspy accented voice caused Johnny to breath out a deep sigh accompanied with a smile. His head cocked to the side as he leaned back into his chair. "Well if it isn't my old friend Ethan Lovett. Tell me, has your wild adventure abroad finally led you back to its starting point?"

Ethan showed his signature crooked smile. "For now."

"Well I got to say, whatever the reason, it's great to have you back." Johnny stood up and gave the Aussie a firm hand to the shoulder. "Come on, let me pour you a drink. You can tell me about all the adrenaline highs you had while the rest of us were stuck here having to deal with real life." Johnny headed to the bar where he poured his friend a double shot of his finest bourbon.

Ethan hurdled one leg over the bar stool and sat forward with his arms folded across the bar. "Now now old friend, last I remember Port Charles is not known for its subdued residents. Quite the contrary actually."

Johnny grinned at Ethan's accuracy. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Port Charles is definitely not lacking in its own adventures." Johnny raised his glass and the two men tapped them together before taking down a large swallow of their favorite liquor.

Ethan let himself enjoy the subtle burn as the bourbon began to warm up his body. "What the hell have you done to the Haunted Star?" He looked over the drastic changes that have happened since he left.

"Just a few renovations." Johnny smirked.

"Just a few?" Ethan's eyes widened. "It's purple and black with glass chandelier things hanging everywhere." He swiveled his stool around. "What the hell? There's a stage for god's sake. Johnny, why is there a stage in the Haunted Star? This is so wrong."

"Have you seriously not kept in touch with anyone while you were gone?"

Ethan swung back around to face him. "No, only Luke on occasion when he would let me know if Helena or Robert were getting hot on my trail. He only mentioned that you and Lulu had partnered up to run this place in our last conversation to let me know that I probably didn't have a room to come back too."

Johnny threw his hands up in the air. "Welcome to the new Haunted Star Lounge. Port Chuck's newest experience in entertaining the adult crowd."

"Well please tell me there's a card table or two stashed away in a back closet somewhere that you take out after all the club goers have gone home?" Ethan pressed his hands together in a praying position.

Johnny laughed. Sure he would've loved nothing more than to be able to accommodate a few high rollers after hours, but Lulu was firm that this partnership was only going to work if it stayed completely legit and he was trying his hardest to stay on the right side of the law these days. "Nah man, the Haunted Star is running completely legitimate these days."

The news was heartbreaking for Ethan to hear. "The Star was not meant for frilly drinks and karaoke, Johnny. If you don't allow her to live on the edge once in awhile, she will surely sink from mere boredom."

"Believe me, I wish I could, but I promised Carly…"

Ethan cut him off mid sentence. "Carly?"

"Yeah, Carly. We've been together for several months now and it's pretty serious. I promised her that I was no longer participating in any illegal activity and I want to keep that promise to her."

Ethan knew that life would go on without him in Port Charles and he'd be walking into some changes, but never in a million years did he expect his past partner in crime to be walking straight on the right side of the line. "Man, I think I'm gonna need a minute." He stood up. "Maybe if I go throw some cold water on my face, I will wake up from this god awful nightmare."

"Fine, but when you get back I want to hear how you managed to dodge Robert and Helena and come back home. I hope that crazy bitch didn't follow you back."

"Safe for now, bro." Ethan rounded the end of the bar and disappeared threw the doorway that led to the restrooms.

Johnny was preparing the two tumblers back up when his name being called pulled his head in the woman's direction. It didn't surprise him in the least that Kristina would show up here not even an hour after Ethan's return. These two were like magnets when they were in the same city. Denial from Ethan or not, the undeniable force between the two of them was nothing but evident in Johnny's eyes. "Kristina, what brings you here?"

"My life is hell, but then again what else is new? When is it not?" She plopped down on a bar stool and grabbed the glass of bourbon Johnny had just poured for Ethan. "Oh thank you." She threw back the drink in two giant gulps. Her soured face showed her lack of experience with even the smoothest of liquors. Whenever he had witnessed Kristina have a drink since she became twenty-one it surprisingly had always been a beer or a glass of wine during her dinner. Never any hard stuff so when she signaled for another before her face had even settled back down, he knew something was really wrong. "Keep them coming Johnny." She demanded.

He poured her another, but this time only a third of a shot. "Why don't you slow down a bit and tell me what's got you begging for a hell of a hangover?"

Kristina picked up the glass and briefly stared at the brown liquid as she tried to think of a word that would best describe her current state of mind. The alcohol reached the back of her mouth and her throat fought against entry, but quickly lost the battle. She slammed down the glass. "My husband!" She shouted.

"Husband?" Ethan paused at the end of the bar. "Kristina, you're married?"

"Ethan? You're… you're back?" Her first instinct was to run right up to him and throw her arms around him and tell him how much she has missed him. But before she could let the impulse set in, reality struck. She was pissed at him. Really, really pissed at him. She whipped her head back at Johnny and gave him a death stare.

"Hey, I had no idea he was coming back until he showed up here." Johnny declared before the wrath of Kristina set in.

"You didn't answer the question." Ethan started again. "Are you married?"

"Does it really matter, Ethan? Why would you care if I was married or not?"

"Maybe because I'm your friend." He slowly began to approach her.

"Ha!" She shouted. "A friend doesn't take off out of the country and not even call once to say their okay."

Ethan knew not keeping in touch with anyone was going to be hard, but it was what he had to do. No one could know where he was. He had wanted to call her, in fact he had thought of and missed his friendship with Kristina about a thousand times while he was away, but in his heart he thought it was best for her to finally get over him. "Kristina, I'm sorry, but you were away at school. This kind of just happened. Believe me, I didn't want to have to throw some clothes in a bag and jet off all in an hours time. There really was no time for goodbyes. Damn it, Kristina, Helena was going to kill me."

Kristina looked towards Johnny. "Are you buying this crap?"

Ethan's fingers ran firmly through his hair as a sign of frustration. "Unbelievable."

"Hey leave me out of this little spat." Johnny conceded.

"Fine, but pour me another drink. This night just keeps getting better and better." Kristina rested her face in her hands.

"Kristina! Kristina, you've got to talk to me!" Trey hurried down the stairs and over to Kristina at the bar.

"Oh god!" She rolled her eyes. "Trey, I told you that I don't want to talk to you. The annulment papers are being processed while we speak."

"So this is your husband?" Ethan asked as he found himself sizing up the bloke.

"Yeah and who the hell are you?" Trey countered.

Ethan's eyebrows rose when he didn't like the tone he was getting. Kristina noticed the quick shift in the air. Testosterone was now clouding the Star. She made her way in between the two. "Trey, this is Ethan. Ethan, this is Trey."

"Her husband." Trey continued.

"My soon to be ex husband." Kristina corrected.

Trey regained his attention back on Kristina. "Please, just talk to me. I know we can work this out."

Kristina shook her head in annoyance. "There is nothing that we need to talk about. I cared about you, Trey, but it was all a sham to you."

"It started out that way, yeah, but things have changed. I love you, Kristina."

Kristina stared at the man before her. He was the man who helped her move on from the one that stood behind her. She let the walls down for this guy. After everything she had been through in the past, Trey was the one who allowed her to feel wanted again, beautiful again and loved again. But this was also the man who admitted that it had all been a scam to get her money, even with his sudden pleas that he had really fallen in love with her. Kristina would not allow herself to be the victim anymore. She had spent way too much of her life feeling weak. Nobody was going to make her feel that way again. "Trey, I have nothing to say to you. I want you to go."

"But you'll stay and talk to Ethan? The man who had all of your heart once, but repeatedly made you feel like you weren't good enough for him."

"Hey, you bastard! You know nothing about my relationship with Kristina." Ethan managed to scoot Kristina's small body out of the way so he was only inches away from Trey. Johnny made his way from behind the bar, fearing he would be breaking up a fight any minute now.

"Really? I know that she loved you, but you only threw it back at her every chance you got."

Never taking his eyes off of Trey, Ethan directed a question at Kristina. "You really married this piece of shit, Krissy?"

"Don't you think it's a little too late to be playing jealous protector? She's over you now. You're nothing but a regret Kristina refers to now."

"Johnny, please do something!" Kristina begged as she knew this was not going to be getting any better.

Johnny took one step forward, preparing to separate the two, but it was too late. Ethan pushed Trey just far enough to allow his arm to cock back and force a fist to connect with the side of his jaw.

Johnny pushed Ethan against the chest to try to keep him from continuing his attack on Trey. Kristina hurried to Trey, who was trying to get his senses back while he was laid out on the floor. "Ethan, what the hell is wrong with you?" She yelled.

"He's just a punk, Kristina. He doesn't know a damn thing about our friendship!" Ethan said as Johnny finally managed to push him onto a chair.

Trey pulled himself back up, but instead of going after Ethan, he turned to Kristina. "Please, come with me. Look, I'm sorry. I just want a few minutes to talk to you."

In this moment she was feeling no sympathy for the man with a bloodied lip. She felt he deserved it for all the pain he had caused her. But she wasn't feeling any gratitude for the man who delivered that pain either. She wasn't sure how it was possible, but she was now ten times angrier than when she had arrived at the Star. "Trey, not tonight. I promise, I will talk to you another time. But right now… right now I have nothing to say."

"You heard the lady, get out!" Ethan shouted from his chair that was being guarded by Johnny.

Kristina shot her head his way. "Shut up, Ethan!"

"Trey, I think it's better if you do what she asks. Obviously nothing is going to be solved tonight." Johnny suggested.

Trey reluctantly headed up the stairs. "I'll call you tomorrow." He directed Kristina's way before walking out of the Star.

"I'm sorry, Krissy, but that guy is a piece of work." There was a small laugh behind his words.

The fact that Ethan found humor in all of this really pissed Kristina off. "Who the hell do you think you are?" She stomped in front of him.

"What?"

"I haven't seen or heard from you in over a year and not even ten minutes after you return, you're punching out my husband."

"I believe you referred to him as your soon to be ex."

"Has Johnny filled you in on my marriage?" She asked.

"Well, no."

"Then you had no right interfering the way you did."

"He obviously has hurt you."

"Here's the thing you're missing, Ethan. I don't need you to protect me anymore. I know how to handle things on my own now."

"Old habits die hard, I guess." Ethan said as he finally took the time to take in the beauty before him. She was much the same, except a few small changes. She hadn't grown any taller that was for sure. Her hair was slightly longer and there were small changes in her body as well. She must have added about ten pounds that had been distributed to all the right places. Ethan caught himself staring and quickly cleared his throat and turned away.

Kristina noticed his stare, but was in no mood to start trying to analyze Ethan Lovett's feelings for her again. "Listen, Ethan. I appreciate that you still have the instinct to save me, really I do, but you just can't act like you never left. You did and things have changed. I have changed." She walked back over to the bar and grabbed her purse. "I got to get out of here."

"Come on Kristina, don't go. The three of us have a lot of catching up to do." Ethan requested.

"Some other time. I wanted a night to just forget about things and I'm not going to be able to do that here." She turned toward Johnny. "Sorry I brought some drama."

Johnny's life had been too squeaky clean lately, he welcomed some excitement. "Don't worry about it."

"Ethan…" She paused. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah… see you around." He wasn't used to getting the blow off from Kristina.

After both of the men watched their once young friend walk out, they headed back to the bar. "So what's the story on that?" Ethan asked.

"Apparently Kristina met Trey while she was away at school." Johnny began.

"Which is another question. What happened with school?"

"Apparently Sonny bought her way in and it didn't take long for Kristina to find out about it. Needless to say that it didn't set to well with her. Anyway, she brought Trey back home with her and somehow he managed to convince her that running off to Vegas and getting married would be the best way to stick it to Sonny and Alexis."

"Vegas?" Ethan could feel the fury start to build again.

"Yeah and honestly they looked like they really cared about each other. I just happened to hear through the grapevine something about Trey really being a con man and had his mind set on Kristina's money since day one. Tonight was the first I have seen or heard from her since then."

"Damn that girl can't catch a break. I think I need to go find that Trey character and have another little chat with him." Ethan stood back up.

"Hey, Ethan, you heard Kristina. She can take care of herself now. Plus, I don't think entering round two will help get you back into her good graces."

"Yeah, I think your right. You know, I would've liked to have run into Kristina say at Kelly's or on the docks, not like this." Ethan flashed back to all their conversations, both good and bad, his favorites being at Kelly's. There he knew their talks would never get out of hand because of all the people around. When they were on the docs, he always had to be afraid of where she would take the conversation. Usually trying to make him come to terms with his feelings for her. A few times he felt close to saying something he knew he would regret, but was able to control himself just in time. Kristina was too young and too inexperienced for him. He was doing her a favor. He was just a wandering con man and she deserved better than that. "Alright, I think I'm gonna take off."

"Well listen, we turned your old room into a banquet room, but you're more than welcome to stay at the penthouse tonight. Carly's coming by, but…"

"Thanks man, but I made sure I had arrangements before I came here."

"Alright, well, if you need some work, we're always looking for some help here behind the bar."

It didn't take long for Ethan to ponder the offer. "You know, I just don't think I could do it." He smiled. "Not if you want to keep this place legit."

"See ya later, man." Johnny shook his head at Ethan's never ending need for an adrenaline rush.

"Alright man." Ethan left the Star and headed on his way to his new place. Running into Kristina tonight kept replaying in his head. She had said that she didn't need him anymore, I mean he didn't like it when she said that she did before, but no matter how much he tried not to be the knight in shining armor for her, it was their thing. It just always worked that way. When Kristina left for school, he knew there was something more between the two of them. He would never admit it of course. She was going to go off and she would meet someone worthy of her. But seeing her tonight and finding out that she had been hurt by that jackass and that he hadn't been able to protect her killed him. Even if she said that she didn't need him anymore, he still had this overwhelming need to keep her safe.


	2. Chapter 2

Ethan walked into Jakes or what is now known as The Floating Rib and met Coleman up at the bar. "Coleman, is it ready for me?"

"Sure thing, brother." Coleman handed Ethan a set of keys. "Now you take care of it up there. You're the first tenant since I knocked down all the old rooms and turned it into a loft."

"What made you decide to do that anyway?" Ethan asked. "Those filthy rooms surely must've given you some extra cash here on the weekends."

"Indeed they did, but they also brought in some unwanted attention if you know what I mean. The morning after walk of shame had the lunch crowd losing their appetites."

Ethan had never been there to witness the sobering moments, but he had been there several times when the excited couples made their way up the stairs of love. "At least the rest of the place has stayed the same. Besides the name of course." He glanced up at the neon sign hanging on a side wall.

"Can I get you a drink?" Coleman offered.

"Thanks, but I think I'm just going to head up for the night. You don't get much sleep when you're on the run." Ethan turned away from the bar and did a once over on the small crowd, before settling his eyes on one particular patron. She stood alone, facing the jukebox as her hips swayed back and forth to the music. "On second thought, Coleman, I think I'll take a beer." Ethan sat back down and admired Kristina from behind. It didn't seem so long ago that he thought of her as a child. She had been just a young, naïve girl who he had bonded with over poker lessons. Little did he know then that over the next couple of years they would come to rely on one another for support in all of life's ups and downs. Kristina had become a friend, a best friend you could say. She took the time to understand him and see past his many imperfections, something that many people never did. He had fought against his growing feelings for her because quite frankly he didn't realize they were there until Johnny kept pointing them out to him. To hear it from Kristina was one thing, but from Johnny was somehow different. It scared him. He needed to shut them down fast. So when Kristina told him she was going to Yale he welcomed the idea.

"She's been here all of thirty minutes and already she's had three shots of tequila and she's working on her second Jack and coke." Coleman told Ethan as he handed him a beer. "I was thinking that I should call Max or Milo."

"No, it's okay. I'll make sure she gets home safe." Ethan couldn't help but smile as Kristina continued to dance by herself. He knew it would be any minute before she would notice him and from the way she left him at the Star, he was sure she wouldn't be too happy to see him, so he decided to sit back for as long as he could without being seen.

She twirled around in her tight fitted jeans and three inch heels. Ethan laughed to himself when she spun a few too many times, causing herself to pause so that she could regain a grip on her surroundings. He knew all too well how she would be kicking herself in the morning. He began to watch intensely when he noticed a guy with a pool stick approach her. Ethan couldn't hear the exchange, but seconds later Kristina was holding onto the stick and leaning over the pool table to break open the balls. She walked around the table looking for her next shot and the guy followed her, leaning against her as she focused in on the shot. Ethan was getting restless as he watched the punk brush his lips onto her neck. It was definitely time to intervene.

Ethan walked behind the two and with his hands in his pockets he leaned to the side so that she could see him. "Hey, Kristina, do you want me to give you a lift home?"

Her flirty giggles stopped cold when she seen Ethan's face. "I've got it covered, but thanks anyway." She then turned back to her new friend and placed her arms up around his neck to which the man responded by going in for kiss.

"Sorry, man, but I can't let this happen." He gently grabbed onto Kristina's arm and pulled her away.

"Ethan, let me go!" She protested.

"Kristina, you've had too many drinks. You don't know what you're doing." Ethan said as he tried taking her out of a regretful situation.

"Hey, man." The guy grabbed onto her other arm turning Kristina into a wishbone. "I believe she said she's got it covered."

"She's had too much to drink and I'm taking her home." Ethan insisted.

"I can take her home." Countered the man.

"See, he can take me home." Kristina pulled her arm away from Ethan and grabbed her drink back up from the table. "You can stop babysitting me now."

Her stubbornness that Ethan had once found cute in the past was becoming annoying here tonight. "Kristina, I'm not…"

"Then why are you here?" She asked.

"Listen, I did not follow you here. I live here now."

Kristina practically spit out her Jack and coke. "Right, you're living at The Floating Rib?"

"In the loft upstairs." Ethan answered.

The unnamed man was clearly getting confused. "Are you two a couple or something, because I don't want to be wasting my time here."

"No, just friends. Or we used to be friends. I'm still not sure where I stand on that one yet." Kristina shook her head as she finished her drink.

"Good, then there's no problem. I'll take her home." The man smiled and began to wrap his arm around Kristina's waist. She giggled from his attention.

"She's married." Ethan knew he was playing dirty and that Kristina was not going to be happy, but he thought of it as saving his friend.

"Ethan!" She yelled.

"You're married?" Shock splattered across the man's face.

"Well yeah, kind of." She was going to kill Ethan. The man released his grip. "But it's not what you think. I promise."

"Sorry, sweetie, you seemed like fun, but I don't need to be getting involved with someone that has a husband. I've been down that road before and I do not want to revisit it again." The man took several steps back before grabbing his coat from a chair and walking out the door.

Kristina's head seemed to move in slow motion as it left the direction of the door and landed at Ethan. This was a new feeling for her. She had never been angry with Ethan before, well not like this anyway. "I thought I told you, I don't need you to save me anymore."

"Kristina, I know that you're mad at me right now. I get it. I haven't been a good friend to you lately."

"Lately?"

Ethan sighed. "Okay, for a while. But this is me trying to make up for that. I can't let you make a mistake that I know you will regret tomorrow."

Kristina was drunk. She could feel it now as everything around Ethan's face was a blur. But even with her clouded head, she was able to realize that he was right. "I need to go." She began to stumble past him.

"Sounds good. I'll drive you."

"No, Ethan, I can manage myself."

"You can't drive home, Krissy. You've had a lot to drink."

Only one word that Ethan said stuck out to her. Both hands flung to her face and rubbed up over her forehead. "You're right, I can't." She said as her eyes began to moisten.

"Hey, it's okay. I'll take you."

"No."

"Okay then, if you don't want me to take you, I'll call you a cab.

"No, Ethan. You don't understand. It's not that I don't want you to take me home. It's that I don't have a home to go to."

Ethan's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Kristina sunk down onto a chair. "I was married, Ethan, as short lived at it was. I left my mom's house and have been staying with Trey."

"That's alright, I'll just take you back to your moms."

"No way! There is no way I'm going to my mom's tonight."

"Kristina, I'm sure she's worried about you."

Kristina thought about her last conversation with her mom. She already had to listen to Alexis tell her how she knew that this would happen and if Kristina had only thought like an adult instead of making childish decisions, then she would never have ended up in the situation to begin with. "I seen enough disappointment in her eyes when I asked her to file the annulment papers, I can't take it anymore."

Ethan knew that even though Sonny and Alexis loved their daughter, they always had a way of making her feel as if she could do better. Be better. The intentions were good, but they never realized how much pressure they put on Kristina. "The Metro Court then?"

"Yeah, so they can call Carly as soon as I check in and then she calls my dad and I wake up to several guards outside of my room." Kristina wiped a fallen tear from her cheek. "Whatever… just take me. I don't really have any other options." She began to make her way to the door, stumbling a few more times.

Ethan could see how Kristina would not want to deal with her mom tonight, but having to deal with Sonny when he found out she was drinking all night without any of his men around to protect her would be too much on Kristina's already wounded heart. He firmly ran both hands over his head. "Kristina, wait."

She turned around. Light traces of mascara showed the route of her tears. "What?" She asked in barely a whisper.

He would probably regret this, but here it goes. "You can stay here tonight."

"With you?"

"Well I haven't even been up there yet, but I know there's a bed and I'm pretty sure it has a couch."

A sparkle shimmered back through her eyes. "Are you sure? You don't have to. I know I haven't been too nice to you tonight."

Ethan smiled. "I'm pretty sure I've deserved it all and then some. Come on, I've had to sleep in some pretty creative places recently. One more night on a couch isn't going to kill me."

"Thank you!" She rushed up to hug him, but lost her footing on the way. Her ankle collapsed to the side and just as she was about to go down, Ethan grabbed up under her arms and pulled her to him. "Are you okay, love?"

_Love_. It had been so long since she had been called that and being called that while she was pressed firmly against Ethan's chest brought back a whole stream of emotions. Emotions that she had long ago buried. She inhaled deeply, only to add to the rush of memories. Damn he smelled good.

"Kristina?"

Ethan's voice caused her to come back to her senses. Well as far back as she could be in her current liquored up state. She pushed off of him. "I'm fine." Embarrassed she started off again, this time grabbing back onto Ethan's shirt when her ankle shot off crippling pain when she put pressure on it.

"What is it? Did you hurt your ankle?"

"Yeah, I must've twisted it when I…" She looked awkwardly at him.

"When you fell?" He smiled.

"Yeah, when I fell." She laughed. "Now stop making me laugh. For one I'm in pain and two, I think I'm still mad at you."

"You think?"

"Well you're letting me stay with you tonight so I may start to reconsider if your kindness persists."

"Well then, I believe this will also score me some brownie points."

"What will?"

He put his arm around her ribs and scooped up her legs with the other. "Awe, that's so sweet, Ethan."

"Brownie points?" He smiled down at her as he began to make his way up the stairs.

"Brownie points, definitely brownie points." She turned her head and looked forward as Ethan carried her up.

Ethan could smell the tequila and Jack on her, but it was very faint compared to the cherry vanilla body spray flowing up under his nose. He was relieved when he reached the top of the stairs. She was too close to him. Way too close to him. He sat her down and she leaned against the wall as Ethan unlocked the door to the loft. Ethan and Kristina were both looking at his new apartment for the first time.

Upon entering through the door, you walked right into the living room. Flat screen TV to the right, a green couch that faced it with a matching lounge chair that sat along the side. Moving to the left, just past the couch, you took two steps down on to the darkened hard wood floors of the spacious kitchen. All the appliances lined the right wall with the counter extending just a bit further before taking a left into the open for several more feet. Three bar stools sat on both sides. In the middle of the kitchen floor was a round wooden table. Nice, but simple. Kristina took this moment to sit and take off her heels. Ethan continued through as he took the two steps up and went to the door on the left. "Bedroom." He called to Kristina, before disappearing inside for a moment. When he came back out, he walked directly across to the other door. "Bathroom." He announced as he only stuck his head in to look around.

"Very nice." Kristina said as Ethan came back to the kitchen.

"I have to admit, it's much nicer than I would have ever expected." He walked over to the fridge and opened it up, knowing there wouldn't be anything in it. "I'd offer you something to drink, but as you know I haven't had a chance to go shopping yet. How about a nice cold glass of tap water?"

"No, I think I just need to lie down."

"Believe me, love, you're going to need this glass of water. It will help you stay hydrated so you won't feel so bad in the morning." Kristina agreed by nodding.

Ethan had her wrap an arm around his neck and she hobbled along his side over to the two steps. He used his one hand that was around her waist to pull up on her body so that she could completely bypass them. He took her into the bedroom and over to the queen size bed where he folded down the burgundy comforter. She scooted her body up and placed her legs under the covers.

Ethan sat the water on the nightstand. "If you need anything, just yell."

"Thanks."

"No problem." Ethan began to walk out the door.

"Hey, Ethan!" She called out to him.

"Already, love?"

"Remember earlier tonight when you said that old habits die hard?"

The corner of his lip turned up, revealing his perfect teeth. "Yeah."

"Well, I think you were right. I do still need you."

"I guess you could say that it's sort of our thing." Ethan replied.

Kristina smiled. "Exactly."

Ethan's eyes held onto hers until he forced them away and walked out of the room.

She held onto the gaze, even though he was no longer standing there. It was hard when Ethan had been gone. Kristina missed having that one person who actually believed in her whether she was right or wrong. Even though there was never a romance, there was always chemistry. That's why it hurt so much when she left for school expecting to continue their talks over the phone or online, but never heard from him again. She finally got Johnny to tell her that he had taken off. It took her a long time to let him go and move on with Trey, but she did it. She had finally come to terms with the fact that Ethan had really been telling the truth all along. He never loved her. Well not in the way that she wanted. Over the next year she became more independent, finally coming to terms with the fact that she was stronger than she had ever given herself credit for. She was really beginning to like the person she would see in the mirror every day. That is until Trey took her for a fool. That seemed to be a major setback for her. It had her doubting yourself again. But the moment she seen Ethan tonight, it all clicked again. She had to stay strong. There was no option. Reverting back to that young girl would mean falling for Ethan all over again. The friendship, she really wanted back. The constant rejection? Not so much. She was going to have to find a way to balance the two out. She didn't want to push Ethan away. She had to learn how to be his friend again without letting her past feelings get in the way of that. She could do this. She would make this work.

**Authors note: I realize this may not have been the most exciting of chapters, but it was necessary for taking the rest of the story where I want it to go. I promise you, there will be a pay off and you won't have to wait too long! I want Ethan to have to squirm just a little bit **


	3. Chapter 3

Kristina woke to the smell of bacon. The palm of her hand went straight to her forehead when she tried to sit up too quickly. Her head was throbbing. She got out of bed, careful not to put too much pressure on her ankle. To her surprise it wasn't as painful as she thought it would be, just a bit sore. She slightly limped her way to the steps of the kitchen. Ethan stood with his back to her at the stove scrambling eggs. "You went shopping?"

Ethan whipped his head around. "Hey, good morning. Yeah, the couch kept trying to fight with my back last night so I finally decided to just get up and get some supplies for this place."

"Oh, Ethan, I am so sorry." Kristina said as she walked up to him.

"I'm fine, really. How are you feeling? That is the more important question. I bought some aspirin, they're on the counter and I put some orange juice on the table."

"Oh my god, thank you. My head hurts way worse than my ankle." She grabbed two aspirin from the bottle and headed over to the table where Ethan already had it prepared with juice, plates and napkins. "Can I help you with anything?" She asked.

Ethan came over with the skillet full of eggs and started dividing them between the two plates. "Nope, all done." He enjoyed seeing Kristina smile as she took her seat. He proceeded to bring over the bacon and hash browns and even buttered some toast before taking a seat himself.

Kristina was so hungry she couldn't wait to take her first bite of the eggs. "How come I didn't know that you could cook?"

"Ah, Krissy, this is just bacon and eggs. You should try my dinner menu."

"Is that an invitation?" She asked playfully.

Ethan grinned. "I don't know… maybe. But right now just eat your breakfast."

Kristina watched Ethan as he began to shake out hot sauce onto his eggs. "That looks so good. Can I have some of that?"

One eyebrow rose up on Ethan. "Really? I wouldn't have taken you for a hot sauce kind of girl."

"Well I guess there's still a lot we don't know about each other."

Ethan handed over the hot sauce and watched Kristina as she added it to her eggs. He thought he knew enough about her. Before he knew her to be smart, pretty, a good listener as well as friend and above everything, she was very persistent. But now, in this moment, he wondered what else he didn't know about her. Did she like hot sauce on other foods? What was her favorite color? And did she always look this beautiful first thing in the morning?

"Hello? Ethan?" Kristina had asked Ethan a question and when he didn't respond she realized he was in some sort of daze. The poor man must be so tired from his rough night on the couch. She would have to find a way to make that up to him.

Ethan's eyes widened when he heard her call his name. "Sorry, what?"

"I asked you what you have planned for the day."

"Well, I'll probably go see Lulu and Luke. I made a pretty penny on poker games while I was away so I'm not in desperate need of a job yet. So I guess I'll spend most of the day just getting reacquainted with the city. I feel like I've been gone forever."

Kristina hung her head as her fork played around with her remaining eggs. "I wondered sometimes if I would ever see you again."

Ethan once again heard the pain in her voice. He had missed her too, but he truly had no idea that him leaving would have hurt her so much. "Krissy, you know I had no choice, right? It wasn't one of Helena's petty little games. She was out for blood… my blood. I had to leave. I should've called you. I'm so sorry that I didn't. I just thought that with you gone at college you would be too busy meeting new friends that you would have quickly forgotten about some loser friend you once had a small crush on."

Kristina sighed and carried their plates to the sink. "It wasn't a small crush, Ethan." She ran the hot water. "I mean, I know it was only one sided, but you were my first love."

Ethan was stunned at her words, but he also felt honored at them. He walked over and turned the water off, resulting in her attention turning to look at him. "I had no idea that you considered me your first love, Kristina. Of course I knew that you had feelings for me. You let me know that every chance you got." They both smiled as they thought of the memories. "But never did I think that you loved me."

"You were everything to me, Ethan. Every night I would pray that the next day would be the day that you would suddenly open your eyes and realize that you loved me too. I know, that sounds so stupid." Suddenly feeling shy, she turned her head toward the floor.

Ethan gently lifted her chin back up with his finger and she met with his eyes. "Krissy, there is nothing stupid about that. It's not your fault that I was a blind idiot who used every excuse in the book to keep you at a distance."

Looking deep into his eyes, Kristina felt her heart speed up as all her old feelings for this man came rushing back through her veins. It was hitting her like a ton of bricks. Her body was burning with just the touch of his finger on her face. _Kiss me._ She screamed in her head. _Please kiss me!_

Ethan's body froze with fear. His feelings for Kristina had grown by the time she left for school, but there had never been a moment like this. One where he wanted to lunge forward and kiss her so passionately. Partly because he would never allow a moment like this to have been created. _She has finally moved on from you Ethan, she deserves better than you._ He thought. _But what if you never get this chance again? Don't over think it, just do it already! _

Kristina suddenly turned away. She didn't want to push Ethan away again. He was being nice and trying to lift her spirits again, like he always did. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable anymore. "I should really get these dishes done. I have a lot to do today."

It was now official to him. Kristina had not only grown into a beautiful woman, she had also moved on from her first love. His stomach sank with emptiness. A feeling he had never felt before. He tried to shake it off and grabbed a dry towel and took the first clean plate from Kristina. "Oh yeah? What's on your agenda today?"

Kristina let the confusing moment pass her and while her heart still slightly raced, she was able to regain control of her shaky hands. "Well first I have to go by Trey's apartment and get my things. And then I have to find a place to put those things."

"What do you mean? You're not going back to your moms?" Ethan asked.

"I can't go back there. I'll find an apartment of my own. It shouldn't be that hard. Look, you found this place in one day."

"And how are you going to pay for your new apartment?" Ethan asked.

Kristina realized just how much they had to catch up on. "I may have suddenly dropped out of school, but I'm not a complete idiot. I have a job." She paused for a second. "At least I think I still have a job. Kate gave me a job as one of her assistants at Crimson, but that was before Connie showed up."

"Connie?"

"Yeah, Kate's other personality."

"Her what? I'm not sure I'm following."

"Kate has multiple personalities, but that's a story of a day where we have more time. Anyway, I haven't been working for a couple weeks but I've saved enough to get me by for a while. Hopefully Kate will be back soon and I'll be back to work."

"Sounds like you've got it all worked out then. But, listen, do me a favor and when you go to Trey's, give me a call and I'll meet you there."

Kristina giggled. "Ethan, I am not having you meet me at Trey's."

"Why not? You might need me to help you carry some stuff." Ethan offered while he put the plates away into the cabinets.

"Believe me, I can fit all the things I have over there in one box. I'll be in and out in minutes. Besides, Trey should be away at work."

"Well good, because I have to tell you, I don't trust the guy."

Kristina once again found herself trying to resist the urge to laugh. "What do you mean you don't trust him? Ethan, you don't even know him."

"He's a con man!" Ethan shouted.

"And so are you!" She was quick to reply.

"Kristina…" Ethan was thrown back for a second. Was she really drawing a parallel between the two of them? Yeah, he really didn't know this Trey character at all, but he could feel that there was something off with him. He never would have used Kristina like Trey did. Ethan might be a con man, but he knew he was nothing like Trey.

"Listen, what Trey did to me was awful. I don't know, maybe it's me being naïve, but there's part of me that has to believe that there was some parts of Trey that were sincere."

"Like the part that said that he loved you?"

Kristina sighed heavily and turned off the water and began to dry her hands as she thought about Ethan's question. She shook her head and walked over to her purse. "I don't know."

Ethan followed her. "Kristina, please don't tell me that you're going to take him back."

She continued to walk to the door with Ethan right behind her. "Regardless of how he feels about me now, he hurt me and humiliated me. I promised myself that I would never be a victim again and I'm going to keep that promise."

Ethan found himself happy at her reply. "Well then, good luck on your apartment hunting. I'm sure you'll find something wonderful."

"Thank you Ethan… for everything."

"It was just breakfast."

"You know what I'm talking about. Not just breakfast. For taking care of me even when I tried to push you away. I've really missed this."

"Me too." Ethan watched Kristina walked out the door and down the stairs. He didn't really realize how much he had missed their conversations until now. Thankfully they were able to fall right back into things again. He liked this closeness between them and for the first time ever he found himself wanting to get even closer.

Ethan woke in the morning on the couch and his body was aching. He stood up and tried his best to stretch out the pain. It didn't help that he ran a late night poker game downstairs at the Rib that ran into the early hours of the morning. Much alcohol had been consumed. He shuffled his way to the bathroom feeling that an immediate shower would help. He leaned both arms on the pedestal sink and tried forcing his eyes to open completely when he looked into the mirror. He had finally focused in on his tired faced when he noticed the articles hanging over the shower rod behind him. "What the hell?" He slowly pulled down each bra, one by one. Black, red, purple and hot pink. He turned to the side and seen matching panties laid out over the heater. "Kristina." He called, but she didn't answer. "Kristina!"

"What's the matter?" She came rushing into the bathroom.

"What are these?" He held up all four bras.

"They're bras, Ethan. Geez, how long has it been since you've seen one?" She pushed past him and grabbed her panties.

Ethan found himself actually pondering the question. It _had_ been awhile. "I know what they are, Kristina. I'm just wondering what they are doing in the bathroom."

"Sorry, Ethan, but you can't just throw them in the dryer, you know. They're delicates." Kristina walked to the bedroom and placed the items in a drawer.

For a split second as Ethan looked at Kristina all dressed ready for work wearing a black fitted dress, he wondered what her "delicates" looked like underneath.

"Ethan, I know I have been here a little longer than expected, but you were the one that offered, remember?"

Ethan thought back to the phone conversation that he and Kristina had had that night after she first went apartment hunting. Nothing was available for immediate occupancy. He didn't want her to have to go back to either of her parents and he for sure didn't want her to be tempted to go back to Trey's. So here it is, seven days later and still no apartment. "Yeah, I remember."

"I'm meeting with another realtor after work. I promise, if I don't find anything tonight, I will go back to my moms."

Ethan sighed. Truth was, even with the bras and panties taking over his bathroom, he was starting to like having her there. He had to work some shifts at the Floating Rib in order for Coleman to allow his after hour parties, but knowing Kristina was safe upstairs made him very happy. "Don't worry about it. I told you that you could stay as long as you needed and I meant it."

"You've already done so much. I don't want to be a burden anymore."

"You are definitely not a burden." Ethan replied as the door bell rang and Kristina disappeared into the bedroom. "A little open with your delicates, but not a burden." He opened the door. "Johnny, hey man. What brings you here so early? Come in. I've been missing you at the poker nights."

"Yeah, I've been really busy with the club. Listen, I got a visitor up there last night." Johnny said as he looked around the loft.

"Oh yeah, who?"

"Trey."

"Huh, what did that dirt bag want?" Ethan asked while he popped two Advil into his mouth.

"Well he wanted to know how Kristina was since she still hasn't been returning his phone calls."

"So? Don't tell me that you think she should forgive him?"

"No, not at all. But it was what he said next that had me interested."

"What was that?" Ethan sat back on one of the kitchen chairs.

"She said that he heard Kristina was staying here with you." He waited for a reaction from Ethan, but got nothing but Ethan clearing his throat. "I said it must just be a rumor, because Ethan would never let Kristina move in with him and send her any kind of mixed signals. He wouldn't do that to her again, that is unless of course he was finally ready to admit he has real feelings for her."

Ethan was having a hard time deciphering his feeling for Kristina to himself, how was he going to explain them to Johnny? Before he could even try, Kristina came walking out of the bedroom. "Oh hi, Johnny!"

"And there's my confirmation… on both counts." Johnny said right before giving Kristina a hug.

"Sorry, I can't stay and talk, but I got to get to work."

"Kate's back?" Johnny asked.

"For now, but you never know when Connie is going to appear, so I got to make some money while I can." Kristina put on her coat and looked over at Ethan. "If I end up having to stay here another day, I promise all bras and panties stay in the bedroom." She smiled and gave a half wave before leaving.

Ethan's head didn't move, but his eyes shifted toward Johnny who he knew would be waiting for an explanation.

"What's going on, man? Bras and panties in the bedroom?"

Ethan groaned as he stood up and went to the fridge. "Is it too early for alcohol?" He asked, but settled for juice instead.

"Ethan, are you and Kristina hooking up?"

"No, man, it's not like that. She needed a place to stay while she searched for her own apartment."

"And the man who once wanted nothing to do with being her knight in shining armor, was once again available to be her rescuer."

"It appears so…"

Johnny knew better, this wasn't Ethan just being a good friend to Kristina. This was much more than that. "Have you told her yet?"

Ethan knew exactly what Johnny was asking. He took a deep breath. "No and I don't plan on it either."

"Why not? I'm sure Kristina would be ecstatic to hear that you finally can admit you really like her."

Ethan ran his fingers firmly over his head. "I can barely understand what's going on myself. I mean the last thing I was expecting was to come home and fall for Kristina."

"It didn't happen overnight, Ethan. I called this why back then. Come to think of it so did she."

"She was too young then."

"Oh that's just what you told yourself. You were just too afraid that you would hurt her."

"And I still don't want to hurt her. Besides, Kristina has moved on." Ethan thought of the morning after her first night over. Her pulling away right before he was going to kiss her.

"What, with Trey?"

"It doesn't matter who. She's pretty much made it clear that she's over me and just wants to be friends."

"She told you that?"

"She didn't have too. I'll just tell you that there was a moment when I just knew. I was too late. But that's alright, mine and Kristina's friendship is very important to me. I realize that now and I don't want to mess that up again. So I will continue to be there for her whenever she needs me."

Johnny was hearing Ethan, but he just couldn't picture how this could turn out very good. "And what happens when she meets some new guy and she wants to tell her good pal Ethan all about it? How are you going to deal with that?"

Ethan hadn't thought that far ahead yet. It had been hard enough to think that she had shared a bed with Trey. "I'll be there for her."

Johnny made his way back to the door. "Alright, but you know more than anyone all the heartbreak that girl has gone through over the years. Kristina's a good girl, don't lead her on again if you have no intentions of seeing it through this time."

"Advice taken, mate."

"Call me when you get your next game together. I'll see if I can make it."

Ethan smiled at his friend. "You mean if Carly says it's okay?"

"Don't even go there. I love Carly, but she is not in charge of me. At least not outside of the bedroom, that is." Johnny joked.

"Alright, man, get out of here. Keep those thoughts to yourself." Ethan said as Johnny laughed his way down the stairs.

Ethan's headache was just about gone and he headed back to the bathroom for his shower. He looked at the rod where Kristina's bras hung only moments ago and then at the now bare heater. No matter what, she could always bring a smile to his face even if his thoughts right now aren't as pure as they once were. He could handle this. This friendship can remain just as innocent as it's always been.


	4. Chapter 4

Kristina arrived at Kelly's about fifteen minutes early for her scheduled time to meet Ethan for dinner. She walked inside and took the only open table on the right. She sat with her back to the door and immediately started playing around on her phone to help pass the time, only looking up to say hello to Shawn and give him an order for a Coke. She had good news to share with Ethan and was excited for him to get there.

"Kristina, how are you?"

She knew the voice immediately and when she looked up to see Trey standing there, she quickly erased her previous smile. "Trey… hi." Not sure of why, but she briefly looked toward the door for Ethan.

"Do you think it would be okay if I sit down for a minute?" He asked.

"I'm meeting someone for dinner."

"Ethan? I heard you were staying with him." His voice was soft as if there was sadness behind his words.

Kristina wasn't sure what to say so she just nodded. For some reason, she found herself not wanting to hurt him.

"It will only take a minute to say what I need to say and then I promise I will get up and walk away." Trey took the seat across from Kristina when she agreed by simply nodding again. "I've been worried about you. You haven't returned my phone calls."

"I know, I promised I would talk to you, but honestly I was so angry with you that I thought it would be best if I gave myself some time first."

"I know that I hurt you, Kristina, but I have to say I was a bit surprised to hear you had already moved on with Ethan."

Kristina was instantly annoyed. "Trey, if this is going to be about Ethan then I really think you should go."

Trey paused and closed his eyes for a moment. Ethan was a concern of his, but he was not what he wanted to talk to Kristina about. "I'm sorry, your right. This isn't about Ethan. This is about my love for you."

"Trey…"

"I'm serious Kristina, I love you. Yeah, I only saw you as a mark when we first met, but everything changed after we started spending time together."

"Then why did you trick me into marrying you? If everything had changed then why the rush to get married?"

Trey placed his hands on top of hers and she quickly pulled them away. Realizing this made her uncomfortable he pulled his back and placed them on his lap. "I don't know. I guess I was scared."

"Scared of what, Trey?"

"Scared that you would wake up and see that I wasn't a good man and leave me. I guess I thought I was protecting myself."

"I gave all of myself to you, Trey. I had finally come to a place in my life where I felt strong enough to love again. I told you everything about myself. All about my family. The darkness I went through with Kiefer and even my fear of rejection because of what I went through with Ethan. You took all of that and used it against me."

"I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness. I betrayed you. But before I go, I wanted you to know that you made me want to change. Hell I was changing everyday that I was with you. I want to be better because of you. I have a good job here now and I plan on keeping it."

"I think that's wonderful, Trey. I hope you mean that, because I know that you can be somebody great."

Trey wanted so badly to be with the girl sitting across from him. He wished he could take it all back. Start new with this amazing woman and then maybe she would've been sitting here having dinner with him instead of waiting for…"

"Ethan!" Kristina shrieked with nervousness.

"Am I interrupting something? Kristina, I thought we were meeting for dinner." He stared straight at Trey.

Trey may have lost Kristina and he could accept that. He was as fault there. But to lose her to someone who was, in his eyes, no better than himself was infuriating. "No, I was just leaving." Trey stood up. "Kristina, thanks for letting me talk to you." He then gave one last look at Kristina before walking out of Kelly's."

"What was all that about?" Ethan asked as he took the now vacant seat.

"He apologized."

"Well I hope you told him to go to hell."

Kristina opened up a menu. "Not exactly."

"Not exactly?" He questioned.

Kristina couldn't manage to pull the menu away from her face to look Ethan in the eyes. "He told me that he was sorry and was working on becoming a better person."

Ethan's eyes rolled to the back of his head. "Yeah, okay. What else did he have to say?"

"That he still loved me." Kristina's eyes peaked over the menu to check for Ethan's reaction, but his face was blank making it hard for her to read him.

Ethan could feel his blood start to boil. He knew that weasel was still going to try to get at Kristina. "Krissy, that guy is not good for you."

Kristina didn't feel like having to explain to Ethan once again that she was not going to go back down that road with Trey. She knew that even with her forgiving him, she could never trust him with her heart again. Besides, as much as she tried to deny it, her heart already belonged to someone else. She finally sat down the menu. "Ethan, I don't want to talk about Trey. I have good news to tell you!"

Ethan blinked his way back to calmness. "Yeah, that's right, what's the good news?"

"I got an apartment!" She clapped her hands repeatedly.

Ethan's eyes widened. "That's great, love. Your first apartment on your own." He was hoping that she bought the fake excitement in his voice, because inside he didn't like it. Not at all.

"I'm so excited, Ethan. It will come completely furnished so I don't have to worry about buying any furniture, just some little things so that I can make it my own."

"Really, I am so happy for you." He lied.

"There's only one small problem though."

"What's that?"

"Well," She placed her hands on Ethan's. It was so easy for her to touch him, she never thought twice about it. "It's not going to be ready until January 1st." She smiled big and batted her lashes at him.

She always could suck him in, but she really didn't need to this time. He was happy he would get a few more days with her at his place. "Well I suppose I can put up with you a little longer."

"Thank you, Ethan! You've been such a good friend to me."

_Friend_. He thought. A word he had thrown at her so many times in the past, but now it just didn't seem to fit the way he felt about her anymore.

"I'm just a little disappointed that I won't be able to get a Christmas tree this year." She frowned.

Ethan thought for a minute. "Come on, let's go." He stood up and reached for her hand.

"Go where, Ethan?" Confusion was evident in her expression.

"We're going to get a Christmas tree."

"Are you serious?" She asked as she still remained seated.

"Yeah, I'm serious. You deserve a Christmas tree. We'll stop for pizza and beer on the way home."

Kristina's face lit up. "Okay… okay!" She grabbed his hand and then her coat and they took off out of Kelly's.

"I can't believe that with all the trees to choose from, you chose this one." Ethan said as he pulled the scrawny tree into the loft.

"What do you mean?" She giggled. "I think it's perfect."

Ethan walked back to the door. "Well I don't think there are even enough branches on this thing for all the ornaments we bought. I'll be right back." He went back down the stairs to go get the bags from the car.

Kristina placed the pizza on the table and went over to the TV where she turned it on to the music station. Ethan arrived back upstairs just as Kristina was cracking open two beers. "Christmas music, really, Kristina?"

"Don't be a scrooge, Ethan. It was always a family tradition in my house growing up. Mom would always try and prepare a special meal…"

"Try?"

"Yeah and when the fire alarm went off, we knew it was time to order pizza. Then we would put on some Christmas CD's and decorate the tree."

"Sounds like some great memories."

"They were."

Ethan grabbed some paper plates and put two pieces of pizza on them. "Well I am honored to help you carry on that tradition."

"Oh, I just have to do one last thing." She took off running to the bedroom.

Ethan had the tree standing up when Kristina made her appearance again. She was wearing red pajama pants that sat at her hips with little Santa Claus faces all over them and a red cami that hugged her body and gathered at her waist, exposing a few inches of her skin. Her hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail. Ethan thought his heart had stopped. She had no idea just how sexy she looked to him.

"Sorry, it's just another part of the tradition. We always wore our pajamas."

"No problem. You look great." He smiled as she came walking towards him.

"Okay then, let's get started." She began sorting through the bags.

Ethan was putting on the lights when he heard Kristina's cell phone ring. He watched her as her face seemed puzzled when she looked at it. She hit the ignore button and sat the phone back down. "No one important?" He asked. She shook her head without looking at him and began to hang the ornaments.

Several beers and another ignored call later, they were finally finished with the tree. "I have to say, it looks pretty damn good." Ethan stated as he flopped down on the couch.

"I told you it was a good tree." She sat down next to him and admired their work.

There were a few moments of silence as Ethan found himself wondering what to do next. Any other time that he would have a girl sitting next to him that he had such strong feelings for, this would have been the moment where he would make his move. But it was Kristina, someone who was finally content with just being his friend. He felt as if he was being torn into two separate directions.

"Oh, I love this song!" Kristina broke the silence as _Baby, Its Cold Outside_ began to play.

Ethan jumped up and held out his hand to her. "Let's dance then."

"Noooo…" She bashfully covered her face.

"Oh come on, love. It'll be fun."

"Uhhhh…" She grabbed his hand and he put a little force behind his pull and her body rushed up against his.

Right away he took the lead and began moving her around the living room. She giggled and smiled when he spun her out and rolled her back into his arms. He kept her body against him with one hand around the small of her back and his other was interlocked with hers at his chest. They danced like this for a moment until Ethan repeated the next verse to the song. "_Gosh your lips look delicious."_

She knew they were just lyrics, but having Ethan Lovett sing them to her sent that confusing rush of excitement back through her again.

Ethan locked his eyes with her. She needed to know… she needed to know that he loved her. And there was no better time than this. It surprised him how nervous he was. But then again, he had never felt this for a woman before. Love had always been something he didn't see in the cards for him. If he hadn't experienced it before now, then there must be something wrong with him. He had become okay with that, even when he realized that he had feelings for Kristina a long time ago, never did he know what love truly was until this moment. This woman took his breath away. He never wanted to let her go.

There was something different in Ethan's eyes as she stared back at him. He wanted her. She could see it so clearly now as he looked at her. If it wasn't the hunger in his eyes that confirmed it, it was the heat that was flowing from his body into hers. So much so that it was overwhelming to her. She thought she knew love for him before, but now it had been intensified by a thousand times. Her breathing had deepened when he slowly moved in. His lips were so close to hers that she didn't even have room to try and moisten them. Her eyes closed as she prepared for connection. Her body was already tingling in anticipation of its upcoming pleasure.

Then… like a bad movie, her phone rang. The startling sound sent her eyes shooting back open. Apparently it did the same to Ethan. He looked in its direction and then back at Kristina. _No, no_. She thought. _Ignore it Ethan, it's nobody!_

He looked back at her. Looking for confirmation that they could ignore the call and move forward. She looked worried. Was she concerned about the caller on the other end? He was confused. She wasn't moving to get the phone, yet she kept glancing between the phone and him.

She couldn't believe that Ethan let some stupid phone call ruin this moment. His lips weren't coming at her anymore. The moment must've past for him. All she knew now was that if she didn't start moving her legs again that she was going to collapse right there on the floor. And wouldn't that be embarrassing? She said the first thing that came to her mind. "I got to get to bed."

Immediately forgetting about the call, Ethan hurried his next word. "What?" He couldn't believe what he heard. Had he misread the last few minutes? No, there was no way that he did. Did he?

"I've got to, um, I have to get up early for work." She could barely get out the words, she felt so cloudy.

"Oh, okay." He released his grip on her.

"Good night, Ethan. I had a great night." She turned and walked toward the bedroom, looking back several times before disappearing.

Ethan was new to this whole love thing, but he was pretty sure that it wasn't supposed to be going this way if the other person involved felt the same way. He took a deep breath and turned to clean up the pizza plates when he spotted the device with terrible timing. He looked toward the bedroom door and then back at the phone. He picked it up and right on top it said three missed calls. He knew that it was wrong, but he couldn't help himself. He needed to know who was behind Kristina's distractions tonight. He tapped the phone and if only to confirm his suspicions, there it was. Trey.

Kristina closed the bedroom door behind her. Instead of jumping right into bed, she found herself pacing the floor. After years of chasing after Ethan and trying to get him to admit that there was more than friendship between the two of them, she finally saw him take it all in. He was going to kiss her tonight. She hopped onto the bed and jumped like a small child would. Ethan Lovett was going to kiss her! She smiled wide as she covered herself up and laid her head onto the pillow. She was about to dream a happy dream when her body shot back up. Ethan Lovett was going to kiss her and she told him that she needed to go to bed? What the hell did she just do?

It was mid afternoon and Ethan was on his way to get a coffee from Kelly's. Kristina must have gotten up extra early and been extremely quiet in the morning because when he got up, she was already gone. He was passing through the docks when he ran into Johnny. "Hey, Johnny, what's going on?"

Johnny shook his head. "Uh, just had to deal with some of my grandfather's past associates."

"Thought you were done with that life?" Ethan countered.

"Yeah, well, he left a lot of business unattended to when he took off." He rubbed his eyebrows, clearly distraught by the situation he had been put in.

"Does Carly know about this?"

"No and she's not going too. I'm going to have to deal with this on the sly if you know what I mean. But I have no choice. Hopefully I will be able to dissolve the problem without her ever knowing anything about it."

"Well good luck with that. If I remember anything about Carly, she's not one to sit around with suspicion."

"Yeah, well then, you know her pretty well." He sighed. "Hey how's the Kristina situation going?"

"Oh man, I have to say that I would never have thought that it would be this complicated."

"Really?"

"I want her, Johnny. Like I've never wanted any woman in my life. I know that now and I accept that."

"Then why do I feel a but coming on?"

"But I'm not sure if she wants the same. She might still be hung up on someone else."

"Ah, Trey's still in the picture I take it."

Ethan tucked his cold hands into his pockets. "He told Kristina that he was still in love with her yesterday."

"And you're afraid Kristina is being sucked back in?"

"You know, the way we have been hanging out and enjoying each others company lately, I wouldn't have thought so, but she was so nervous when I interrupted them talking and then again when he called her phone three times last night. The last call interrupting right when I was finally going to tell her how I felt about her."

Johnny smiled. "You were finally going to tell her, huh?"

Ethan walked over and sat down on the bench. "I was so close to kissing her, Johnny. I don't know how it happened, but I think I'm in love with her. No," He shook his head. "I know that I am."

"So, tell her you idiot! Don't let anything or anyone get in your way."

"I don't want to hurt her, Johnny. If she's over me than maybe it's better if I just let her go."

"Better for who exactly? Trey?"

Ethan clenched his fists. "I hate that bastard."

"Then you better make your move before it's too late. Listen, I was around when you were too stubborn to take this thing with her any further a year ago. I know how deep Kristina's feelings for you go. I'm willing to bet my life away that she's just waiting for you to make a move."

"She hasn't mentioned once that she still feels that way."

"And she's not going to. Look, you rejected Kristina a lot in the past. I'll guarantee she's just trying to protect herself from that again."

Ethan leaned back into the bench. "Maybe she should."

Johnny rolled his eyes. "Ethel, quick whining already!"

"What? I'm not whining."

"Sure you are and it's starting to look pathetic." Johnny looked over at his friend. "You really want Kristina?"

Ethan remembered the way she looked last night. He thought about her beautiful smile and her contagious laugh. His heart ached when he thought about her moving out and not being able to hear and see her every day. "Yeah, I do."

"Then TELL HER!"

"Yeah, I will. Thanks John."

"Well I got to go. Just remember not to let anything get in your way. No matter what." Johnny walked up the steps and around the corner.

Johnny was right, he had to do this and he knew just the way he was going to do it. Ethan continued on his way to Kelly's and pulled out his cell phone and started a text to Kristina.

_Hey love, come home right after work. Remember that dinner invitation I promised? Well I'm whipping up something special tonight. Come home hungry._

He was only feet away from Kelly's entrance when he pushed send on the phone. He put his phone back in his pocket and looked up before he was about to head the rest of the way. But his feet couldn't move forward. Under the archway, on the other side of Kelly's stood Trey and Kristina. Her back was to him and Trey had his hands on the back of her head and they were kissing.

"Krissy…" He muttered silently to himself. He didn't even realize that he had taken several steps backwards until he was back out of their sight.

He was turning in circles. He was too late. She had picked Trey. But had he even given her a chose? His sadness quickly turned to anger. How could she be with that jerk? He used her! He deceived her! She was a fool!

Ethan's fist connected with the concrete wall.

**Authors note: Uh Oh! The next chapter is already finished in my head, hopefully it won't take that long to get it all typed out. But here's a hint. You'll finally get an understanding into why this story was rated M. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

Kristina's hand was stinging from the slap across Trey's face. "Don't you ever do that again!" She screamed.

"Kristina, I'm sorry. You said that you forgave me. Did I misread something here?" Trey said as he held onto the side of his reddened cheek.

"I forgave you for what you did to me. That doesn't mean that I want you back! Damn it, Trey!"

"Oh… Kristina, really I'm sorry. That will never happen again. I promise. I thought that you wanted me too."

"Well I didn't. Look, Trey, I meant it when I said that I wished good things for you, but I don't think it's a good idea that we talk anymore. At least for a while anyway. You need to move on from me."

"Like you have?"

Kristina thought about lying to spare Trey any hurt feelings, but was consumed with memories of last night with Ethan. He hadn't told her yet, but she knew it was coming. She could see a future with him and she was certain now that Ethan could too. "Yeah…" She couldn't contain her grin. "I got to go, Trey. I have to get back to work."

Trey swallowed hard as he watched Kristina walk away. He wasn't going to get her back, he knew that, but hopefully with Ethan witnessing his lips planted on Kristina, he wasn't going to be getting her either. When he seen Ethan walking up, how could he resist taking the opportunity. He loved kissing Kristina again even though he knew that she didn't want it, but making Ethan believe that she did was so much more gratifying.

* * *

Kristina could barely keep her mind focused on her work after she seen the text from Ethan. She kept finding herself daydreaming about how the night was going to go. She'd walk into the door and the smell of roasted chicken would be filling the loft. Ethan would greet her with a glass of wine and lead her to the candle lit table. They would have lovely conversation with a few flirtatious laughs tossed in here and there. Ethan would then lead her to the couch where he would crouch down on one knee and profess his undying love to her. Then he would…

"Kristina… Kristina!" Maxie shouted for her. "Sorry, Maxie. My mind is kind of elsewhere today. What did you need?"

"Yeah, I can tell." She rolled her chair over to Kristina and handed her a file. "So tell me, who's the lucky guy?"

Kristina's cheeks flushed. "What are you talking about?"

"Kristina, for the last two hours all you have managed to do is shuffle some papers around and smile nonstop. Clearly it's the work of a man. So who is he?"

Kristina's heart began to race. She didn't want to jinx it, but she had to tell someone. "It's Ethan."

"Ethan?" Maxie asked, surprised at her answer. "But I thought you got over that crush a while ago?"

"Yeah, I did. I mean at least I thought I did."

"So what's changed?" Maxie followed Kristina over to the center table where Kristina began fiddling with the pedals on the bouquet of flowers.

"He wants me now too."

"He does?" Maxie shrieked.

Kristina could no longer contain her own excitement. "He hasn't said it yet, but I think he plans on telling me tonight!" She grabbed her cell phone from her desk. "Look, he's making me a special dinner tonight."

"Kristina, that's so exciting! Finally he sees what an amazing woman you are!"

"It took him long enough. Maxie, I have waited three years for tonight."

"So what are you still doing here? Go, get out of here! Run to your man who's waiting!" Maxie grabbed Kristina's purse and coat and shoved them at her stomach.

"Maxie, I can't go yet. Ethan isn't expecting me for another hour." She sat her items back on her desk.

"Oh, well, you're not being any use to me here." Maxie grabbed her own purse and pulled out a set of keys. "Here, go to my apartment and freshen yourself up. You need to look hot for your date tonight and a work suit is not going to cut it. Go into my closet and grab anything you want, but make sure that it's sexy. You're going to remember this moment forever so you want to make sure you look good."

"Oh my god, are you sure?" Kristina asked.

"Of course I'm sure. Now go! Make Ethan realize that he's making the absolute best decision."

"Okay." Kristina grabbed her stuff and rushed to the elevator. "Thanks, Maxie!"

* * *

Kristina slowly walked up the stairs to Ethan's loft. She'd chosen a blue dress from Maxie's closet. The top of it was very tight to the body and came off the shoulders. A black belt at the waist separated the slightly flowing bottom of the dress that stopped several inches above the knee. When she finally reached the top of the stairs, she took off her coat and laid it across her arm. She wanted Ethan to completely see what he had in store for him tonight. She opened the door and took the first step in, inhaling deeply expecting a rush of aroma's to hit her, but there was nothing. And no Ethan in sight either.

She sat down her coat and without losing her smile or excitement she made her way to the kitchen. The stove sat clean and no dishes had been brought out. "Ethan?" She called out, but no answer. She walked to the bedroom, but it was empty and so was the bathroom. She pulled out her cell phone to double check that the plans were in fact for tonight and at home. She figured something must have held him up. She made herself comfortable on the couch, careful not to wrinkle her dress and waited. And waited some more. No Ethan. Now she was getting worried. She picked up her phone and decided to send him a text.

_Where are you?_

_Is everything okay?_

She waited another hour and when she still hadn't heard from him, she texted again.

_I'm worried, Ethan._

_Please call me."_

The night had passed on and Kristina had fallen asleep on the couch. She awoke to the door crashing open. "Ethan." She said as she lifted herself up back into a sitting position, only to witness a stumbling drunk Ethan stagger right past her to the kitchen. "Ethan, where were you? Didn't you get my texts?"

He leaned up against the counter and looked her over, releasing a laugh that caused her to look at herself. "Yeah, I got them."

"So why didn't you answer? I thought we had dinner plans."

Ethan grabbed a beer from the fridge and headed over to the couch. "I'm sorry, something better came up."

Kristina heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. She felt embarrassed. "Something better?" She whispered, but Ethan could still hear her.

"Yeah… Cindy. A girl I met a long time ago. I was lucky enough to run back into her today. She finally agreed to go out with me and let me tell you, she was totally worth the wait, if you know what I mean." He laid across the couch and buried his head into a throw pillow. "You understand, right?"

When Kristina swallowed, it felt like a ball was lodged in her throat. She could feel her eyes start to swell. She quickly turned her head away, even though Ethan's own eyes were already closed shut. "Of course." She took off to the bedroom where she quietly closed the door behind her. Her body slid down the door as she buried her mouth in her hands in an attempt to conceal the sound of her cries.

The next two days were the most confusing to Kristina. When she would wake up for work, Ethan would be passed out on the couch, reeking of alcohol and when she would return he was never home. It was like a double edged sword. When she would see him, it reminded her that she had been a fool for him again and when she didn't see him, she couldn't help but imagine that he was off with… Cindy.

It was the day before Christmas Eve now and Kristina was having dinner by herself at Kelly's when Johnny walked up behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she jumped. "Hey, sorry, what's got you so jumpy?"

"Johnny, no, I'm sorry. I was just in another world, I guess."

"Eating by yourself? Where's Ethan tonight? I thought you two were joined by the hip now." He sat down across from her.

"I honestly have no idea where Ethan is, but I could probably tell you who he's with if you want to know."

"What are you talking about?" Johnny was expecting Kristina to be all over telling him about how Ethan finally confessed his feelings for her, not disgust at the mere mentioning of him.

"I'm talking about Ethan and his new girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? Kristina, I'm confused. I thought Ethan…"

"Was what? A good guy? Someone that cared about his friends?" She interrupted. "Well he's not. He's just like the rest of them."

Well now Johnny knew that something was definitely wrong. Last time he seen Ethan, he was completely in love with Kristina and was going to tell her just that. "Didn't Ethan talk to you the other night?"

"You mean after inviting me to a dinner he was suppose to make for us and then blowing me off for some skank and then telling me about how great she is, then yes, I guess he did talk to me the other night. But that is the last time he has spoken to me."

Bewilderment was all over Johnny as he scratched the top of his head. "This isn't right, Kristina."

"Well then maybe you should talk with Ethan, I'm sure he can tell you everything for himself."

"I mean the last time I seen Ethan he was looking forward to seeing you. He had something important to tell you."

"Well I could've done without the news of Cindy."

Johnny leaned in. "Look, I don't know who this Cindy is, but she is not what Ethan had originally planned to talk to you about. Something must've happened."

"If it wasn't Cindy, Johnny, then what was it?" She asked.

"Kristina, whoever Ethan said he has been spending his time with, is a lie. You need to go find him and talk to him."

"What are you trying to say, Johnny?"

"It is not my place to say and I don't know what happened, but what I will tell you is that you're going to regret it if you don't go and find him."

Kristina was intrigued by Johnny, but shook her head as a way to shake it off.

"Kristina, do you still care about Ethan?" He asked.

"More than I ever did before." She hung her head.

"Then make him talk to you."

Kristina took a deep breath and hurried it out. She took some money out of her wallet and sat it down on her dinner check and then stood up. "I'm done chasing Ethan around, Johnny. You're my friend and you know what he means to me. But even my love for Ethan cannot overcome the fear of his rejection again. My heart can't take it another time." She began to walk out the door.

"Kristina!" Johnny called to her.

Her head wanted to turn back around and hear what else he had to say, but her heart just wouldn't let her. Instead she walked back to the loft and wasn't surprised at all to find it empty. She went to her room and after changing out of her work clothes, she began to start packing up her things into two suitcases. It was clear to her that she had over stayed her welcome.

Ethan came back home from his poker game around two-thirty in the morning. And like he had done the past few nights, he quietly made his way to the bedroom. He only opened the door a couple of inches so that he could just make sure she was safe asleep. As much as he hated the thought of Kristina being back with Trey, he still needed to know that she was okay. His biggest fear was opening the door and the bed being empty. He didn't want to picture her laying somewhere else with someone else. He then went over to the couch where he made himself a bed and laid for at least another hour as he did his best to push her out of his mind… and out of his heart.

* * *

It was Christmas Eve and Kristina had told her mom that she would be over at six. Of course she had made these plans a week ago when she thought her and Ethan could spend the day together. Now, when she woke, there was no Ethan. She could go to her moms early, but she just wasn't in the Christmas spirit as much as she usually was. She laid around most of the morning and ordered some lunch from downstairs at The Rib. When she went down to get it, Ethan was working behind the bar. She started to walk his way, but when he seen her approaching, he quickly turned away. She didn't understand what she had done to make him start treating her this way. She made a turn and stopped one of the waitresses. "I have an order to pick up for Kristina."

"Sure, just give me one second."

"Hey," Kristina stopped the waitress again. "How late are you guys open til tonight?"

"Coleman said we can shut down at five."

"Thanks." Kristina said and opted to sit at a table instead of the bar as she waited for her food.

Once she was back upstairs, she ate her food sitting in front of the TV. She watched several Christmas movies before finally deciding that it was time to get ready. After putting soft, long curls throughout her hair and doing her make-up, Kristina slipped on her red dress. (Think the white dress she wore in the Dominican, but red). She slipped on her matching red heals and headed over to the bedroom's closet. From the back she pulled out the wrapped present that she had made for Ethan. In the last couple of weeks, she had spent every available moment working on it. She grabbed hold of her suitcases and headed to the front door, only stopping for a second when she placed his present under the tree.

The Floating Rib was empty when she walked down, all but for Ethan. He was still behind the bar wiping it down with a wet rag. She figured she at least should tell him that she wouldn't be coming back anymore.

He felt a lump form in his throat. "What's with the suitcases?" He asked.

"Well it's been kind of obvious over the last few days that I have worn out my welcome. I just thought I would let you know that I'm leaving." When Ethan said nothing, she continued on her way.

Ethan grabbed tightly onto a fifth of scotch. It took everything he had not to throw it across the room. "I guess old habits really do die hard."

Kristina spun around. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"You really do keep choosing the wrong men." He spit out through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, I guess I do." She agreed, for the first time ever looking at Ethan as a mistake.

"Do me a favor. When Trey breaks your heart again, don't come back crying to me."

"Trey?" She was confused, but her anger sent her charging back toward the bar. "Ethan, what the hell is your problem? I don't know what I did to make you treat me this way, but I'm done with it. If you have something that you want to say to me, then just say it. Quit acting like such a coward!"

"You know that I am no coward, Kristina. You're the one that has the fear of living a happy, better life. For God's sake, Krissy, Trey tricked you into marrying him. And all I have heard from you is how you will never be a victim again and the first time the guy says that he loves you, you start making out with him again in the front of Kelly's!"

Kristina immediately flashed back to the unwanted kiss from Trey. Ethan must've seen it and assumed she was kissing him back. Trey probably knew Ethan was watching, that's why he did it. It all made sense now. Except the fact that instead of asking her about it, Ethan tortured her by giving her the silent treatment and taking up with some girl. "That's what this is all about? Ethan, not that you deserve an explanation, but Trey kissed me that night. I didn't kiss him back. In fact I about sprained my wrist slapping him across the face. I guess you didn't stick around for that part, did you?"

Ethan's face softened as soon as he realized that he had been wrong. He was indeed the one who was a fool. "You're not moving back in with him?"

"No, I'm not. I'm going back to my moms. Ethan, why didn't you just ask me about that kiss?"

Ethan was trying to get his thoughts back together. "I don't know, I just assumed that…"

Kristina was not pleased with his answer. "Well you assumed wrong." She walked back to her suitcases and grabbed back onto the handles.

He couldn't let her leave. "Kristina, wait! Don't go!"

Kristina had no more fight left in her. She relaxed her voice. "Ethan, tell me one good reason to stay."

He watched her staring back at him from the other side of the bar with the same beautiful eyes that first looked at him years ago. The overhead lights were reflecting softly on her now glassy eyes. He had done it. He had hurt her again. He was frozen as he watched the pain he had caused slowly fall down her cheek.

Kristina waited for several seconds, but then realized that Ethan wasn't going to give her an answer. "Goodbye, Ethan."

No, no, he couldn't let her walk out of his life. He had messed everything up. He needed to say something, anything to get her to stop. She was about to leave him and he couldn't figure out the right words to say. He knew how he felt, but in this moment, in this most important moment, he couldn't get the right words to leave his mouth. That's it, he didn't need any words to show her how he felt. "Kristina!"

Ethan rushed out from behind the bar and reached Kristina just as she was turning back around to look at him. Without a moment missed, he placed the sides of her face in the palms of his hands. He applied soft pressure as his lips worked their way over hers. Kristina's arms hung down at her sides until she was able to realize just what was happening. Then her hands went flying to the back of his head. Finally, after years of waiting, Kristina had gotten her kiss from Ethan. And there was no sign of it letting up.

Kristina tasted every bit as expected to Ethan. He held her body to his as close as he possibly could while his hands made their way through her hair and down her back. He needed to feel more of her. Their lips broke apart when he scooped up under her legs and picked her up. He carried her up the stairs. Neither one of them breaking eye contact with one another. Ethan was breathing heavily by the time he walked them through the door, but it had nothing to do with carrying her there and everything to do with the way she was making him feel.

As soon as Ethan sat her feet back to the ground, Kristina pulled his lips back to hers by grabbing hold of the back of his head. Their bodies were burning and Ethan pushed Kristina up against a wall. His mouth was exploring her earlobes and neck as his one hand ran along her side down to the hem of her dress, making its way back up along her warm, silk like skin. Forming it over her but, then back down to the knee where Kristina lifted her leg and held it against his side. Running his hand back up he jerked her hips toward his, causing Kristina to release a small moan, driving Ethan even more crazy.

Kristina pulled up on the bottom of Ethan's t-shirt taking it up under his arms where Ethan took over and pulled it the rest of the way up over his head. Her hands went right for his chest and glided her fingers up and down. For one moment, she thought that she must be dreaming, because that was the only place she had ever been this close to him. She kissed across the front of his chest and Ethan closed his eyes in pleasure.

They had worked their way further into the loft when Ethan hoisted both of her legs up and she wrapped them around his waist. Ethan could feel the laced texture of her panties as he carried her off to the bedroom. Once inside, Kristina's body was aching for his to be laid over her. But instead of throwing themselves onto the bed, Ethan gently placed her down and took one step away from her and closed his eyes while taking in a deep breath.

Kristina thought Ethan was having second thoughts. "Please, Ethan, don't do this. Please don't pull away from me. I need you tonight. I want this."

His eyes slowly opened back up and he smiled. "Love, I am not pulling away from you. As you can tell I want this just as badly, but…"

"But?"

"But not like this. Not a quick roll in the sack. Believe me, you have got me so worked up, but you deserve to know exactly what you mean to me. I just want to slow it down a bit. I want to remember every second of being with you."

"So you're not pushing me away?"

"Oh no, sweet love. I'm just getting started." He gently turned her so that her back was to him. He brushed her hair to the side and over her shoulder. His lips grazed softly over the side of her neck and onto her other bare shoulder. Kristina gasped with delight. "You smell so good, love." Ethan returned the moan as he inhaled all of her sweet scent.

He started to pull down on the dresses zipper and Kristina's body quivered when he reached the small of her back. Using both hands, he pulled the dress forward over her shoulders and then guided it down past her hips where it fell the rest of the way to the floor exposing Kristina's black, lacy, bra and panties. She slowly turned back around to face him, feeling exposed but completely comfortable. He studied her body for a moment and she let him. "You are absolutely breathtaking, love."

She smiled at his approval. "Please don't keep me waiting much longer."

"I couldn't if I tried." He picked her back up and laid her across the bed, her head resting against a pillow. He kept focus on her as he took her heels off one at a time. Before Ethan got into the bed, Kristina sat up and unbuckled his jeans, pulling open the button and then down on the zipper. Ethan helped them down the rest of the way before stepping out of them.

He laid down beside her and quickly the fire was raging back inside both of them. Their hands and mouths exploring every inch of each other. Their now naked bodies were finally going to be as close as they could possibly get them when Ethan paused and looked directly into Kristina's eyes.

"I'm sorry I couldn't figure out how to say it before now, love, but I can not deny what I feel for you any longer. I love you, Kristina."

Kristina didn't think she could want this man anymore than she already did, until that moment. Hearing him say those three words was so much more intense then she had ever imagined it would be. Finally, he was hers. "I love you too, Ethan."

Ethan rushed his mouth back to hers and lowered himself completely onto her. The night seemed endless as Ethan made good on his promise of taking it slow. He was proving over and over to Kristina just how much he loved her. Kristina, in return, did the same. Ethan knew Kristina wasn't a virgin, but was pleasantly surprised on just how good she was at keeping him wanting more. Neither one of them wanted it to end so as with all good things, when it was over, they just started up again.

The two were laughing and talking as Kristina was wrapped up in Ethan's arms. Everything was perfect. Nothing could ruin this night…

"Kristina!" The knocking on the front door was so loud. "Kristina!"

Ethan and Kristina both shot up in the bed and fear reflected back at one another. Kristina was the first to speak. "It's my mom and…"

"Sonny!" Ethan gulped.

**Authors note: Okay so there it is, my story on how Ethan and Kristina would have found each other if he had come back. I will continue this story if enough of the readers tell me that they want me too, however they may be further apart in postings. I also do other writing and having writer's block brought me to writing this story and believe me it helped a lot. I do have a question for my readers, though. The site's rating system confuses me a bit. I wasn't sure how far I could go with an M rating so I held back a ton, but now feel that this story could possibly fit under T.**

**Thanks for missing Ethina as much as I do! **


	6. Chapter 6

Kristina hopped out of the bed and ran over to the dresser where she was quickly reminded that she had packed all of her clothes into suitcases, which were still sitting in the middle of the floor at the Rib.

"Krissy, what are your parents doing here? It's late as hell." Ethan said as he tossed Kristina her dress from the floor and he hurriedly grabbed for his jeans.

"I was supposed to be at my mom's at six o'clock." She shimmied into her dress, bypassing her panties altogether.

"Why didn't you call them?"

Kristina stopped to look at Ethan. Her hands on her hips and her tilted head said it all.

"Right." He answered and rushed over to help her zip up her dress. "You really didn't have a moment, did you?" He laughed.

Kristina smiled. "Don't laugh. I have to come up with some story.

"Right, your father's going to kill me."

Kristina placed her hand gently against Ethan's cheek. "Don't worry, Ethan. I'll come up with something. If you're not ready for him to find out about us, I understand."

"Krissy, I'm not…"

Kristina put her hand up to stop Ethan and looked toward the bedroom door when she realized the hard knocking had stopped. "Ethan, you didn't manage to lock the front door when we came in, did you?"

Ethan didn't reply.

"Kristina, are you here?" The sound of Alexis's voice was coming closer.

"Stay here." Kristina rushed out of the bedroom to find Alexis and Sonny coming down from the living room into the kitchen.

"Mom, dad, what are you doing here?"

Alexis wrapped her arms around Kristina. "Oh baby, your okay! I was worried sick about you. What happened? You didn't show up tonight and I haven't been able to reach you on your phone."

Kristina had to fight a little to get Alexis to loosen up on her grip. "Mom, I'm fine. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you." She looked past her mom to her dad. "Either of you."

"Kristina, what's going on? Why didn't you call your mother to let her know you weren't coming? We were afraid you were off in a ditch somewhere." Sonny stepped forward and gave his daughter a hug.

"I know, I know. It was very irresponsible of me. I… I…" She was stumbling for words.

Ethan was standing at the doorway as he listened to Kristina try to explain her way out of this. She was trying to cover for him. She thought he was afraid to come forward with their relationship. He couldn't let her believe that he was embarrassed, ashamed or afraid. Wherever the path ahead was going to lead them, he wanted to walk it with her. And knowing Sonny, they would probably be running it. He stepped out of the bedroom. "She was with me."

Alexis's hand went straight to her mouth and she looked at Sonny. Suddenly Kristina's disheveled hair made sense.

"Oh hell no!" Sonny shouted.

Kristina smiled as her love came to her rescue. Unafraid of anything that could get in their way. The moment solidified any doubt that she jumped into bed with him too quickly. Not that she had any. Plain and simple, it just made her happy.

"Kristina, please tell me the reason you didn't make it to your mother's tonight was not because you were… with him." Sonny's hands were placed firmly on his hips with the sides of his jacket flipped back. A signature stance when Sonny was mad. "I mean, you fell asleep, right? And Ethan was just getting you up, right?" He knew what he was seeing, but was actually just hoping, no willing, his daughter to lie to him. He didn't want to think of Ethan Lovett in bed with his little girl.

"No, dad," She wrapped her arms around Ethan's waist as he put his arm around her shoulder. "Ethan and I spent the night together." She turned to her mom. "Mom, I'm truly sorry. I just lost track of time."

Alexis still had her hand on her mouth and moved it to rub over her face before walking up to her daughter. "Honey, I know that Ethan has been a good friend to you," Truth was Alexis liked Ethan. He had always taken care of her daughter in the past so when Kristina told her she was staying with him for a little while, she was fine with it. She knew he could and would protect her. The fact was, this really didn't surprise her at all. "But don't you think it may be a little soon after your… you know… your divorce?" She whispered the last part as if it was some sort of secret that she was recently married.

Kristina couldn't even get a word out before Sonny started again. "Ethan, you told me that you would never take advantage of my daughter."

"He didn't!" Kristina blurted.

"Sonny," Ethan began. "I love your daughter."

"Oh boy…" Alexis spun in a circle as she knew those words would set Sonny off."

"You love her?" Sonny questioned.

"Yes, I do. And I'm not going to hurt her."

Sonny looked back and forth between his daughter and Ethan and then at Alexis. "Can you believe this?"

Alexis just lifted her shoulders and waved her hand in the air. She knew it was inevitable.

"Come on, Kristina, your coming home with us." Sonny summoned his daughter to him.

Kristina couldn't contain a laugh at his audacity. "I'm not going anywhere, dad. I'm staying here with Ethan."

"The hell you are. Now come on."

"Sonny…" Ethan started.

"No, Ethan, I've got this." Kristina left him to walk in front of her father. "Dad, I know that you love me and only want what's best for me. I get it, I do, but you need to understand that Ethan is the best thing for me. I mean, we only just made the decision to move forward." She walked back in front of Ethan and gazed into his eyes. "But I trust him with everything that I am. I need you to trust in me and let me live my life." She looked back at her dad. "I know that you want me to be your little girl forever, dad, but I'm not so little anymore. I'm a grown woman and you have to let me make my own choices. And I have chosen Ethan."

Sonny sighed and Alexis put her hand on his shoulder. "I just don't want to see you get hurt again, sweetheart. These guys, they just don't deserve you." He continued.

Kristina made her way back to her parents. "Dad, wasn't Kate your first love?"

Unsure of where Kristina was going with this he just nodded.

"Well even with all of what's going on with her right now, don't you wish you had all those years lost back again?" Sonny just stood silently looking at his daughter. "Well I don't want to miss any more time with the man that I love. The man that I have always loved."

Sometimes when he looked at his daughter it was like looking into a mirror. She was so much like him that it scared him. He was always one to act first and think later. He didn't want her to make the same mistakes that he had made so many times. But her analogy of Kate made sense to him. She needed to see this thing through, no matter how much he disapproved. "Ethan, you better take care of my daughter."

"I will." Ethan stated.

"I'm serious, Ethan. Don't hurt my baby."

"Thank you, dad." She rushed over and kissed him on the cheek.

"I think we should get going." Alexis interrupted and started to pull Sonny back. "Kristina, you missed tonight, but I expect to see you tomorrow. Ethan, you are more than welcome to accompany her."

"Thank you, Alexis. We will be there." Ethan smiled and gripped Kristina a little tighter at the waist.

Kristina walked behind her parents and locked the door behind them. She strutted her way back to Ethan and grasped firmly onto the back of his neck as she connected onto his lips.

Ethan groaned. "Oh, baby, what was that for?"

"For not giving a damn what my father thinks."

"I meant it, Kristina, I love you and I'm not going to let you get away again."

"Good, now let's get back to bed." She led him back to the room by his hand.

"Yeah, you probably should get some sleep. We have a few things to do tomorrow."

Kristina pushed Ethan onto the bed with both hands. "Who said anything about sleeping?" She straddled over him.

"Girl, you are going to be the death of me." He rubbed his hands over her bottom.

* * *

Kristina was the first to wake up and waking up on the warm chest of Ethan brought a smile to her face. Careful not to wake him, she quietly tip toed to the closet and grabbed one of Ethan's shirts off a hanger and pulled it over her naked body. When she walked out of the room, she saw her suitcases sitting in the hallway. Ethan must have brought them up after she fell asleep. She floated right by them, at least that is how she felt she was moving, and went into the bathroom where she turned on the shower and brushed her teeth while she waited for the water to heat up.

The last of the shampoo was falling from her hair down to the drain when the shower curtain suddenly opened. A startled Kristina let out a squeal. "Ethan, oh my god you scared me."

"Sorry, love, but I was missing you already. Care if I join you?"

"Be my guest." She welcomed him in.

Ethan grabbed the body sponge and poured the liquid soap onto it, letting the water run over it until it created a soapy foam. Changing places with Kristina so that he was the one directly in line of the water, he gently squeezed the sponge over Kristina's collar bone and watched as the soap ran over her breast and down her stomach where is trailed off past her thighs. Kristina moved in for a kiss, but Ethan shook his head no and smiled. "We're in here to wash, love."

Kristina raised an eyebrow and puckered her lips. "Fine. Proceed."

Ethan continued with gliding the sponge all across her body, stopping slowly over all the right places. Even with the hot water, she was experiencing extreme goose bumps. She suffered through though, because she knew it would soon be Ethan's turn to squirm.

"Your turn." She took the sponge out of his hand. Kristina began to slowly wipe across his chest, kissing each area softly before following with the soap. She continued to bring it down his side, tickling him slightly. He lifted up on her chin. She let his lips get just close enough before pulling away. "We're in here to wash, love." She whispered.

Ethan couldn't contain his laughter. "Then can we please finish up? Being in here with you is pure torture."

They laid in bed wrapped up in each other's arms. Ethan was playing with Kristina's hair that was still wet from the shower. "I think we should start to get ready. We promised your mom we would be over and Lulu is having everyone over at the Star this evening."

Kristina rolled over onto Ethan's chest. "Do you want to go alone?"

"Of course not." He answered without any hesitation.

"Well without them knowing about us yet, I wasn't sure what you would want to do."

"What I don't want to do is hide you. We've waited long enough."

She was so happy to hear him say that, but there were still a few things on her mind that she wanted to discuss. "Ethan, I think we should talk."

Curiosity rose Ethan's eyebrows. "Oh yeah? What do you want to talk about? Did I do something wrong already?"

Kristina wrapped the sheet around herself and sat up so that she was sitting across from Ethan. "First thing, I don't understand why you didn't talk to me when you thought I was kissing Trey. I mean, Ethan, you've been mad at me in the past, but you never had treated me so horribly before."

Ethan rubbed lightly on top of Kristina's hand as he looked down and tried to gather his thoughts on the subject. "I have no excuse for the way that I acted. All I can say is that it killed me when I thought you were back with Trey. I found myself feeling things that I had never felt for a woman before. At first I felt confusion hanging out with you again, but then I realized that I wasn't confused at all… just in love. So after talking with Johnny, I was finally able to say it out loud and it made everything more… I don't know, more real, I guess. Then I seen you standing there and it looked like you were kissing him. Again, I'm not making excuses, but I felt like a fool and I was angry with you for choosing him over me."

"I get that you were upset, but Ethan, I'm letting you know now that I'm not going to let you do that to me again. That was it. Now if I do anything that upsets you I expect you to come to me so we can talk about it."

"I promise." He agreed. "And I would like the same from you."

"Promise." There was one more thing that she needed to talk about. She closed her eyes and was saddened by even just the thought.

"What is it, love?"

"Ethan, what about Cindy?"

"What?"

"Is she going to be a problem here?"

Ethan scooted closer to Kristina. He was so mad at himself for making up the whole Cindy thing. "Baby, there is no Cindy."

"What?"

"I'm serious, Krissy. I don't even know a Cindy. I just made her up that night in the hopes of making you jealous."

"Oh my god, Ethan!" She shoved on his chest. "I should kill you! That about destroyed me, you know."

"Look, I was an ass, I don't deny it. But I promise I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you." He pulled up on her hand and brought it to his lips. "I won't hurt you again, Kristina."

"I'm going to hold you to that, you know."

"I'm going to hold onto you and never let you go." He reached over and kissed her.

"Okay, I think we should get ready now." She began to get up.

Ethan caught her arm and pulled her back. "Now wait just a minute."

"What?"

"I have something that I need to say to you now."

Kristina was puzzled. "Alright… what?" She couldn't think of anything that she had done wrong.

"Do you remember that day when we were on the docks and I was wallowing in self pity about how I felt that Maya was ashamed to introduce me to her family?"

"Yeah."

"And you were so sweet to try and make me feel better."

"Ethan, Maya was the one that didn't know a good thing when she had it. I told you that day that I thought you were perfect and I meant it."

"Well, I also remember in that conversation forbidding you from ever running off to Vegas to get married."

Kristina bit the bottom of her lip to keep from laughing. She had completely forgotten about that part of the conversation.

"Yeah, and what did you do?" He grabbed hold of her sides and started to tickle her.

She fell back onto the bed in an effort to free herself, but was having no luck. "Ethan, stop." She giggled.

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry! Ethan, stop, please! I'm sorry! I love you!" It took every breath she had between laughing to get the words out.

Ethan stopped and his face turned straight. "I don't ever want to think of you being with another man again, Kristina. I honestly can't handle it."

Her faced mirrored his. "You don't ever have to again, Ethan. I only want to be with you for the rest of my life."

"Good." His soft kiss on her led to one with more passion.

* * *

Kristina was running around the loft frantically as she tried to finish getting ready.

Ethan was enjoying watching her while he sat ready on the couch. "You sure take a long time getting ready."

She paused in the hallway. "Hey, I had every intention of being ready on time. I got right into the shower after I woke up this morning. Maybe you shouldn't have distracted me so many times and then we would be gone already."

"Sorry love, but maybe you shouldn't be so distracting." Ethan laughed. He was so happy. Less than twenty-four hours ago he felt like he couldn't breathe. Like he was suffocating from the thought of Kristina with someone else. Now he was with the woman that he loved and was able to share that with her. He never thought he could feel so content with everything in his life. He was mindlessly looking around the room when he noticed a present under the tree.

Kristina grabbed her coat and purse. "I'm ready." She turned her head to Ethan's focus.

"What's that?" He asked.

"Oh, well that's your Christmas present."

"Really?" Just like a kid, Ethan's face lit up and he ran over to it and picked it up.

"Ethan, we really need to get going. Maybe you should open it later."

"No, I want to open it now." He went and sat back down.

"Okay, but it's really nothing. Just something I threw together."

"You made it?"

Kristina nodded. Butterflies were flipping in her stomach. She prayed that he wouldn't think it was silly.

Ethan ripped apart the gold paper. Kristina's eyes were fixated on him for his reaction. "It's a photo album." He said.

"Well, more like a scrapbook." Kristina corrected.

He opened the black cover. The very first page was of Ethan when he was first born. Holly was holding him. "Where did you get this?" He asked.

"Luke was able to get me in contact with Holly a couple of weeks ago. She was so helpful. She had so many photos of you that she sent me. Go ahead, keep turning."

Ethan turned the next page to see a picture of him with his adoptive parents. Every page was of him getting older. "Kristina, I haven't seen any of these photos in so long. Some I don't even remember."

"Apparently your parents would send Holly pictures of you throughout the years."

"This is amazing, Kristina." He flipped a few more pages. There was a gap from around the time his parents died, but picked back up again after he arrived in Port Charles. The first being at Spinelli and Maxie's non wedding. Then several more of him with Luke and his brother and sister. The last page was him with Kristina at the park on the swings. "Where did you get this one?"

"Elizabeth took that one on a day that she was at the park with the boys. She knew the crush I had on you and gave it to me a long time ago."

Ethan was in awe of what she did for him. It might not have meant much to others, but it was absolutely the best gift he had ever gotten before. He didn't have any photos chronicling his life. It was like it gave him more of an existence. He belonged somewhere now. "Kristina, I don't know what to say."

"I know it's silly…"

"It's not silly at all. You have no idea how much it means to me that you did this. You're amazing." He reached over and thanked her by kissing her.

They both stood up. "I have something for you." He said.

"You do?" She was surprised because of the recent events that he would've thought to get her anything.

He reached into his pocket. "It's not much at all really, though I actually spent a lot of time trying to come up with something that would be perfect for you. Then one night I was having a really hard time falling asleep. All I kept thinking about was you getting your apartment and moving out. It was killing me. I didn't want you to leave… ever." Ethan pulled out a shiny silver object from his pocket.

"You made me a key?"

Ethan smiled. "Think of it as a key to my heart. Kristina, I don't want you to move out."

"Ethan, I don't understand."

"I want you to stay here. I want you to live with me… permanently."

Kristina brought her hands to her mouth. "Ethan, are you sure? I don't want you to feel rushed. I know that me laying all my things around the place gets on your nerves. I mean, you might want to rethink this."

He placed the key into the palm of her hand. "Kristina, the thing is, I can't imagine not having your things lying all around. I want you here with me. No, I need you here with me. Please, tell me you'll live with me."

Kristina stared down at the small piece of metal. It was like all of her dreams were coming true at once.

"Say something." Ethan was starting to get a little worried when she stood silent for so long.

"Well it was really a great apartment. It will be hard to let it go." She joked with him. She didn't feel bad, he still kind of deserved it.

"Oh really now?" He raised one eyebrow and began to reach back for the key, but Kristina was quick to pull away.

"But…" She started.

"But?"

"But this one fits me so much better. Ethan, I would love to move in with you… permanently."

Ethan smiled. "Good, then it's settled. We're a couple one-hundred percent now. No turning back."

"No turning back."

**Author's note: Okay, so this story was always meant to focus on these two getting together. Now that I have established a foundation for them, expect the next chapter to start putting more characters into the mix with some twists and turns.**


	7. Chapter 7

It was an unseasonably warm Christmas day. Coats were needed, but the light cool breeze felt nice against their faces. So after spending a few nice, uneventful, hours at the lake house, Ethan and Kristina decided to park the Jeep back at the Floating Rib and walk over to the Haunted Star.

Kristina's arm was hooked onto Ethan's as they walked. "Do they know that I'm coming?" She asked.

"I sent Lulu a text and she said she would love to have you."

"Oh." Kristina hung down her head. "Did you say anything else?"

"Love," He realized her concern and stopped. "I'm going to tell them about us as soon as we get there. I just figured we would do it all at once, while everyone is there."

Her eyes beamed against the moonlight. "How do you think Luke is going to react?"

Ethan laughed as they began their walk again. "Luke can be quite the pessimist when it comes to someone claiming true love, but no matter what he tries to sell, I know he's a believer deep down in that old heart of his."

They were passing through the heart of the park when Kristina turned her attention toward the swings and very quickly got lost in thought.

Ethan tugged gently at her arm. "What are you doing?"

Kristina pressed her lips and grinned. "You know it seems so long ago now, but this is where I really realized how amazing you are."

"You know it was the same for me." Ethan added.

"No it wasn't." She laughed.

Ethan remembered their first unplanned meetings there. She was so young and had already been through so much. Too much. He should've hated her for all she had put him through, but as he still does now, he felt he needed to be there for her. "Well, no, I didn't have any inappropriate feelings for a sixteen year old girl, but it's where I got to know you and understand you. And the way you always made me feel like I was a better man than I gave myself credit for sometimes made me believe it. So for me this is where you became my friend."

"Awwwe." Kristina looked up at Ethan.

He shook his head. "All right, knock it off."

She giggled at his embarrassment. "You are so sweet."

Ethan kept a smile, but rolled his eyes. "Girl, you're going to ruin my street cred."

They continued the next few minutes of their stroll in silence. Each one of them lost in their own thoughts until Ethan stopped suddenly and turned around.

"What is it?" Kristina turned back to try and see what had grabbed Ethan's attention.

"I don't know. I just thought I heard something."

Kristina looked all around, but there was no one out but the two of them. "Well it's a little breezy out. I'm sure it was just the wind blowing through the trees."

If there was one thing that Ethan had learned at a young age and valued most about himself, it was to trust his instincts. But not wanting to worry Kristina, he gave the park one last look around. "Yeah, you're probably right. Come on, I'm sure everyone is wondering where we are." Ethan gripped firmer when he intertwined his fingers with Kristina's and picked up their pace.

Kristina really felt like she needed to take one last deep breath before they entered the Star, but Ethan didn't give her a second as he practically pushed her in by placing his hand on her back.

"Hey…" Lulu gushed as she ran up to greet them at the steps. "It's about time you got here." She wrapped her arms around Ethan for a hug and then did the same to Kristina. "I was so happy when Ethan said that you were coming."

"Thanks for having me." Kristina said as her nerves had her stomach doing inner somersaults. Any moment now Ethan would be telling his family about the two of them.

"Of course, I need another woman around here. Elizabeth was here for a moment when she dropped off the boys to Lucky, but she had to work a shift at the hospital."

Both Ethan and Kristina looked over at Lucky who was sitting on the floor of the stage playing with the boys. Lucky gave a nod to acknowledge their presence.

"Hello, Dodge." Luke walked up and joined the trio. "Good evening, Kristina, nice to see you here." He smiled, but raised an eyebrow at Ethan when he turned his head from Kristina.

"Hey, Luke, I need to talk to you for a second." Ethan stepped off the stairs. "Give me a second, love?"

Kristina couldn't believe he was going to rush away so soon after they got there. She thought he was going to announce to everyone at once that they were together. She felt a little hurt, but thought that Ethan must've figured Luke wasn't going to understand like he told her he would and wanted to pull him aside first. "Sure." Kristina watched Ethan and Luke walk over to the bar and she headed over with Lulu to join Dante.

"You know, Dodge, I knew this friendship thing of yours and Kristina's had picked back up full force since you've been back especially after learning that she has been staying with you, but I have to say that I am a bit surprised that it has turned into holiday travels together." He handed Ethan a scotch. "You want to tell me what's going on?"

"I'll get to that in a minute. First I have a question. Is Helena back in Port Charles?"

"Helena?"

"Has she made contact with you? Do you know where she is?"

Luke could see the seriousness in Ethan's face and hear it in his voice. "No, I haven't heard from her, but you know I have always kept my tabs on her, especially since she has decided to include you in her games. As of a couple of days ago she was still searching for her "stolen diamonds". It took me some time to put that wild goose chase together. I would hate to think that she has figured it out so quickly." Luke stopped to study Ethan's face. "What's going on, Dodge?"

Ethan looked back at Kristina to make sure she wasn't around them. "I think someone was following us as we walked over here tonight."

"Did you see someone?"

"No, but I heard something and when I turned around no one was there."

"Ever think that maybe it was a squirrel or somebody's lost dog?"

Ethan was starting to get annoyed at Luke's disbelief in him. "It was no dog, Luke. There was someone there and if you don't want to help me then just forget I even said anything to you." He placed both hands firmly against the bar and pushed off.

"Hey, hey, wait just a minute." Luke called out to him and Ethan stayed, but crossed his arms across his chest. "I never said that I didn't believe you, I just want to eliminate all of the possibilities before we call in the army."

Ethan had heard all of the stories about Helena from so many residents of Port Charles, most of them coming from his family. Luke had been very firm in letting Ethan know all of what she was capable of. There had always been a twisted game of cat and mouse whenever Helena or Luke got bored with everyday life. Ethan found it almost disturbing, but Luke was anything but a conventional man. But this last visit from Helena had her taking her turn in the game to a new level. One that ended with Ethan having to take off for a year living on the run. "I don't want an army if Helena is back. I'll deal with her myself."

"Dodge, I admire your enthusiasm in wanting to take Helena out, but that old bat is better than a cat when it comes to extra lives. You're gonna need something stronger than a dagger to the chest to bring her down. And no offense, but even I haven't been able to locate a heart in her yet. I'm actually beginning to think that the witch is immortal."

Ethan shook his head. "Everyone has a weak spot, Luke. I'll find hers. I am not going to let her take away anymore years of my life."

Luke looked over Ethan's shoulder at Kristina who was now playing with Lucky and the boys. "If Helena is back in town, it won't take her long to find your weakness, son."

Luke was right, Kristina was his heart now. He had always wanted to protect her in the past, but now there wasn't even a question about it. He would die for her. And the moment that someone knew that, they would surely use that against him.

"You might want to rethink this Romeo and Juliet thing you got going on here." Luke advised.

For one second only did Ethan think that he should separate himself from Kristina. He could keep her safe if he left her. It would break her heart, but it would keep her alive. Then Kristina looked up at him and with her bright beautiful smile, he was once again flooded with the love he had for her. He, himself, couldn't live without her. He looked back at Luke. "We're no Romeo and Juliet. We're our own story." He turned away and headed on his way to Kristina, starting his announcement before he got to her. "Hey everyone, I have something to tell you."

Lulu and Dante stopped eating their dessert and looked over to Ethan who took Kristina by the hand and pulled her up beside him. Luke stayed behind at the bar, but listened carefully.

"After years of having the best friend a guy could ever ask for, I have finally given in to Kristina's constant advancements." Ethan announced and Kristina giggled and jabbed her elbow playfully into his side. "Okay, I mean, I have finally realized that she is not only my best friend, but my soul mate." He gazed down into her captivating brown eyes. "I'm in love with her and I won't waste one more moment denying it." He leaned down and kissed her.

Lulu's jaw dropped happily with a smile and she rubbed onto Dante's hand before jetting over to the couple and congratulating them both with hugs. "Ethan, I always knew this day would come when you would fall in love."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Oh did you now?"

"Just a stubborn Spencer. Don't worry, Kristina, it's not just Ethan. It seems to run in the family." Dante said, wrapping his arm around Lulu.

"Ha ha." Lulu responded, but laid her head down on Dante's shoulder.

Ethan placed Kristina's face in his hands and kissed her. "Are you hungry?"

"We just came from my mother's house where she did the cooking, what do you think?"

"Come on, Lulu had the food brought in." He took her hand and led her to the food table.

Kristina was beyond happiness that everything was official now. Everything that she had ever gone through in her life had led her to this day. The day that she had always prayed for. She had woken up this morning and Ethan was hers. He had declared his love for her to everyone that mattered.

"Hey, everyone. Sorry we're late." Nicholas announced as he and Spencer came strolling in.

Lulu was so excited to see her brother. "Nick, you made it! You made it sound like you were going to be too tied up with business to come home this year."

He kissed her cheek. "Yeah, well, I thought a lot about it and I think it's important that Spencer knows how great it is to be around family on the holidays."

"Hey, Nick, glad to have you back." Lucky reached out his hand to his brother. Though he had forgiven him for his affair with Elizabeth, he still found it difficult to extend anything more than a handshake.

"Listen, we have so much food over on the table. You and Spencer go get something to eat." Lulu offered as she took their coats.

"Thanks, Lulu that sounds great. It was a long trip. Spencer, go see your cousins. I'll be there in a minute." Nicholas was surprised to see his own cousin standing with Ethan by the food. "Kristina, it's great to see you, but what are you doing here?" He looked curiously back and forth between her and Ethan.

"Nicholas, Ethan and I are together."

"Together?"

"Yes as in we are in love and we're also living together."

Nicholas huffed out laughter and began to get a plate together for Spencer.

"Do you have something to say, Nicholas?" Ethan didn't take nicely to Nick's response to them being a couple.

Nicholas turned back to address them. "Look, no disrespect to either of you. You're both my family and I wish you well."

"But?" Ethan pushed forward.

"But, come on, A Spencer and a Cassadine? There's too much potential for disaster."

Kristina had never been extremely close to Nicholas, but there was definitely love there between the two of them, so when Nicholas was already having her and Ethan failing before they really even got started, it infuriated her. "Thanks a lot, Nicholas! Merry Christmas to you too!" She angrily stomped past him.

Ethan never focused much on the fact that Kristina was part Cassadine. The fact that she was a Corinthos was more than enough. "You know a simple, I'm happy for you, would have sufficed."

"Listen, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset her. I was just stating the obvious."

"Not all Cassadines are evil, Nick. But speaking of evil, have you heard from your grandmother lately?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just making sure she's not going to be causing me anymore trouble."

"Well I left her in Greece."

"She's in Greece?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean she's not causing trouble. Now please excuse me. I need to go apologize to Kristina."

Well with Helena out of the country it would make it hard for her to be the one that was following them. Although she could have had someone else do it. But it wouldn't be her style not to be here to witness his murder. Maybe Luke and Kristina were right. Maybe it was just some animal that he heard.

Ethan did his best to put what he thought he heard behind him and enjoy the rest of his first real Christmas with Kristina.

A few hours later Dante and Lulu dropped them back off at their apartment. "See you guys later. Don't forget I'm expecting to see you two at the Star on New Year's Eve." Lulu said as Kristina and Ethan walked up to the apartment door.

"We'll be there." Ethan answered. "Goodnight."

Kristina was giggling all the way up the stairs because Ethan was having a hard time keeping his hands off of her. They entered their loft and Kristina didn't even have her coat off before Ethan attacked her with his mouth. "I want you so bad right now." He whispered as his lips kissed down her neck.

"Let's move to the bedroom." Kristina suggested.

The bedroom was too far away for Ethan. He needed Kristina right now. "No, right here." He had her clothes off in ten seconds and her body mounted up on the counter right after.

Kristina couldn't get Ethan's pants down fast enough. This man unleashed a want in her that no other man ever came close to doing. Ethan kept her pressed close against him, pulling back on her hair so that he could touch every inch of her neck and chest with his lips. She moaned loudly when she reached her breaking point and Ethan followed soon after. They both collapsed into each other's arms from exhaustion.

"A hot bath sounds nice." Ethan said as he helped Kristina off of the counter.

"I'll get the water going." Kristina smiled and pranced off to the bathroom.

"I'll be right there." Ethan said as he watched the flawless body of Kristina head off. He smiled to himself while he was thinking of what a lucky guy he was. He reached for his pants when his cell phone started ringing. No number came over the caller ID. "Hello." There was no answer on the other end. "Hello?" Still nothing, but Ethan could hear someone breathing. "Who is this?" He demanded, but the caller remained silent. "Whoever this is, I will find out and when I do you're going to wish you never started this little game."

"Ethan?" Kristina stepped out of the bathroom when she heard him begin to shout.

Ethan ended the call. "Just a wrong number. I'll be there in a minute." He showed a smile until Kristina was back in the bathroom. He then immediately went to the door and dead bolted it shut. Whether it was Helena or not somebody was coming to get him.


	8. Chapter 8

Ethan had begged Kristina to stay home in bed with him all day, but she refused. And not wanting to alarm her in anyway, he had to let her go to work. It was probably a good thing though. He knew where she was and it gave him the opportunity to dig into this problem a little further and set up the proper security.

He heard arguing coming from Johnny's apartment as he approached. He raised his fist to start knocking, but the sound of a loud crash sent him grabbing the door knob instead and bolting in. "Hey…" Ethan walked in to see Johnny crouched over and surrounded by shattered pieces of what was once a ceramic vase. Carly was standing across the room from Johnny, clearly angry. "Is everything okay here?"

Carly grabbed her purse off of the couch. "No, it's not." She strutted to the already opened door, but stopped short of walking out. "I can't believe you lied to me, Johnny. I don't ever want to see you again." She stormed out.

"Carly, wait!" Johnny called after her, but he knew she wasn't coming back. "Dammit!"

"Trouble in paradise?" Ethan asked while stepping over several broken picture frames.

"What tipped you off?" Johnny flopped back on his couch and threw his head back looking exhausted.

"Well this definitely doesn't look like a little lover's quarrel."

Johnny sighed. "Carly found out about my recent dealings with the business again."

"I thought you said that you were just tying up some loose ends your grandfather left."

"Yeah well there are a lot of loose ends. I started to get too many phone calls that I couldn't explain to her and like you said, Carly doesn't do well with suspicion."

"She overheard a phone call?" Ethan asked as he swept broken glass off of the couch and sat next to his friend.

"No, worse. She followed me down to the pier and heard me give the order to intercept another family's shipment."

"Did you explain to her that it's not forever?"

"Yeah, but she doesn't care. And truth be told, I don't know when it's going to end. I still haven't heard from my grandfather and someone has to speak for the Zacchara family."

"Maybe she'll come around?"

Johnny sighed heavily. "I'm not counting on it. She made it clear that she didn't want me having anything to do with the mob life anymore. But it's a part of me, you know? No matter how hard I try to stay away from it, unless I change my name, it's always going to be around." Johnny got up and disappeared for a second, coming back with a broom and dust pan. "So, not that I mind a friendly visit, but is there something on your mind? Something I can do for you?"

Ethan stood up. "Right, yeah, I do need your help."

Johnny looked toward Ethan and his eyebrow's went up with curiosity. "Cash flow running dry?"

"No, nothing like that. First, you should know that Kristina and I are together."

"Together?"

"Yeah, together." Ethan smiled as soon as her name passed his lips.

Johnny walked over and patted Ethan on the shoulder. "Congratulations, man. What do you need me to do? Give you some advice on how to please a woman?" Johnny laughed.

"Funny, mate, but no. I believe I have that one under control myself."

"Then what is it?"

Ethan got real serious again. "I think someone is setting out to start some trouble with me and I want some security on Kristina."

"What kind of trouble are we talking about here?"

"Honestly I don't even know the extent of it yet. I just know that I was followed last night and got several weird phone calls last night."

"Really? Is Helena back?" Johnny asked.

"Well right away that's where I went, but according to Luke and Nicholas she's not even in town."

"If not her, you got any other ideas on who would be messing with you?"

"I don't know. I mean, I've pissed a few blokes off in the past with some con's, but I couldn't even begin to try and narrow it down." Ethan paused and thought for a second. "You sure Anthony's not around?"

"You think it could be Anthony?"

"Well, I'm just saying your gramps was never too fond of me. In fact I think the last time I seen him I pissed him off protecting Kristina on the docks."

"Point taken. I really don't think it's him, but I'll ask around, see what I can find out. And about the security, I'll be more than happy to appoint some men to look after Kristina, but is it really needed? Sonny's got plenty of guys that will look after Kristina."

Of course Ethan had thought about that a hundred times, but that would mean having to admit to Sonny that he needed help in protecting his daughter. "Sonny already doesn't think that I'm good enough for his daughter. He gave our relationship his blessing, but only because he was afraid he would lose his daughter. If I can get through this without him knowing, I'm going to do it. And who knows, maybe it's nothing. But I just need to make sure that Kristina is safe while I figure it all out."

"Done." Johnny pulled out his phone and began to dial.

"Just one more thing, mate. Kristina doesn't know anything about this. The security is going to have to be discreet."

Johnny nodded his head in acknowledgment and began to speak when someone on the other end of the phone answered. "Victor, listen, I need you to do something for me."

* * *

While Ethan was setting up precautions with Johnny, Kristina was busy working at Crimson. "Delivery for Kristina Davis." The man announced as he stepped off the elevator.

"For me?" Kristina sprung up from her chair.

"Are you Kristina Davis?" He asked her.

"Hell yeah she is." Maxie's heels clicked on the floor behind her.

"Just sign here." The man held out an electronic keypad for her to sign and then handed her the long, white box wrapped in red ribbon.

"They must be from Ethan." Kristina carried the box to her desk and pulled on the bow, releasing the ribbon.

"They're gorgeous!" Maxie shrieked when Kristina lifted the lid and exposed the dozen long stem red roses. "Oh look there's a card."

Kristina ran her fingers over the velvet petals and down to the card, thinking of the last couple of days with Ethan. She smiled up at Maxie before opening the small envelope.

"What does it say?" Maxie asked.

"Forever on my mind and forever in my heart." Kristina read the first line and smiled, but it quickly faded away. She threw the card down on her desk.

"What's wrong?" Maxie asked.

"The flowers… they're not from Ethan.

Maxie picked up the card and read the rest. "I will always love you. Love Trey."

"Why would he do this? He knows that I don't want to be with him."

Maxie covered the roses back up. "Don't worry about Trey. He had his chance and blew it. I mean, you don't have feelings for him, do you?"

"Of course not. I love Ethan so much and I am so happy, Maxie."

"Then forget about Trey. Hey, Kate is out for the day and I can handle all the phone calls here today. Why don't you take the day off and surprise Ethan?"

"I can't leave you."

"The hell you can't. You just snagged the man of your dreams. Go home and enjoy him. Sorry, but if it was me, I wouldn't even have come in."

Spending the day with Ethan sounded so much better than dealing with work today. "You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Now hurry up and go before the phones start ringing like crazy and I change my mind."

Kristina grabbed her purse and coat. "Thanks, Maxie. I owe you… again."

"No problem. Hey what are you going to do with the flowers?"

Kristina looked back at the white box. "Take them home with you or throw them in the trash. I just don't want to see them again."

Kristina pulled out of the parking structure, unaware that New York's crazy winter weather had brought forth a small snow storm. She took to the roads slowly, careful to allow enough stopping room at every approaching light. Her body was tense as her hands clinched tightly to the steering wheel. Just a couple more minutes and she would be home and in Ethan's arms. She was set to take the last turn on her way home when the car wasn't slowing down when she applied pressure to the brakes. Panic set in when she sped past her turn. The only thing in her sight now was a bright yellow dead end sign and the snow covered guard rail behind it.

* * *

Ethan stepped off the elevator and frantically rushed to the nurse's station where Epiphany was documenting on the computer. "Where is she?" He placed one hand on the counter, but his legs were prepared to jet off in either direction.

"Where is who, Mr. Lovett?"

"Kristina… where's Kristina?" He slapped twice on the counter. He didn't have time for this. Lucky had called him as soon as he heard the call come over. Unfortunately he didn't have any details on her condition to give him. Ethan rushed right over to the hospital.

"Miss Davis is in cubicle three."

Ethan bolted over and pulled open the curtain. "Epiphany!" He hollered. "Where is she? She's not in here!"

Epiphany walked over. "Calm down, Mr. Lovett. She can't be far." She lifted the chart off the end of the bed.

"Ethan."

Hearing his name being called by the most beautiful voice sent Ethan spinning back around to see Kristina being rolled toward him in a wheel chair. "Oh my god, love, are you alright?"

The orderly pushed past him and lifted Kristina out of the chair and back onto the bed.

"Krissy, what happened? Is anything broken? Epiphany, is she going to be okay?" Ethan's adrenaline was rushing through him.

"Ethan," Kristina grabbed is hand. "I'm fine. No broken bones. The x-rays just confirmed it. Please sit down and breathe."

Ethan took a deep breath and released it slowly while closing his eyes. She was okay. He pulled up the stool and sat along side her bed.

"You shouldn't have to be here much longer, Miss Davis. Should I call your mother for a ride?" Epiphany asked.

"I'll be taking her home." Ethan answered for her.

Epiphany briefly stared down Ethan. "Okay, Miss Davis, I will talk with the doctor and get those release papers ready for you."

"Thank you Epiphany." Kristina smiled and waited for her to leave. "Ethan can you grab my clothes and help me get dressed. They gave me something for pain, but I'm still feeling a bit sore."

Ethan jumped up. "Of course, but do you want to tell me what happened? What were you doing on the roads and not at work?" He started to undo the tie on the back of her gown.

"I was coming home to spend the day with you." She began.

"Not that I'm complaining, but this morning when I tried to get you to stay home, you insisted that you needed to be at work." The gown fell forward exposing the bruising left by her seatbelt. "Krissy…"

"It looks terrible, doesn't it?"

"You're hurt more than you're letting on."

"Epiphany said I will probably feel worse in a couple of hours."

"Well when we get home, you're going to lay down and rest and let me take care of you, understand?"

Her constant savior. She smiled and nodded in agreement.

Kristina was dressed and ready to go when Epiphany came back in. "All right, Miss Davis. The doctor has cleared you to go home. Here are your discharge papers and prescriptions. Mr. Lovett, make sure she gets plenty of rest over the next few days."

"Will do." Ethan took the papers from her.

The snow had stopped falling by the time Ethan was taking Kristina home. Ethan had one hand rested on her knee as he drove. Kristina was quiet, debating in her head whether she should tell Ethan about the roses that Trey had sent her. She didn't want to start their relationship on any lies or omissions.

"Ethan?"

"Yeah?"

"I have to tell you something and I don't want you to get mad."

"O-kay, what is it?"

"Trey sent me flowers at work this morning."

"What?"

"You said you wouldn't get mad."

"I'm not mad at you Kristina, I'm pissed at the arrogant son of a bitch who can't accept that you're never going back to him."

"I didn't want to keep this from you, but I don't want you to make a big deal out of it."

"So I'm supposed to just sit back and do nothing while this ass makes a play for my girl?"

"I get it, Ethan. I understand what you're feeling. I just don't want any trouble."

"Kristina," He took the back of his hand and gently touched her bruised cheek. "I promise you I will try not to make any trouble, but I am going to have a few words with him. He is going to back off from you or there will be some problems."

Kristina nodded her head and turned to look out the window. They were getting ready to pass the scene of the accident. "My car's been towed."

"Don't worry about it. I'll call and get the details on it later."

"I still don't know how it happened. I was going really slow. I must've hit an ice patch. My foot was all the way down on the breaks, but the car just kept going."

Ethan gripped tighter onto the wheel. Maybe it was what she said, maybe it was just ice, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that something else was going on here. "Well thank god you're safe. There is no way I could deal with losing you after just getting you."

* * *

Back at the loft, Ethan situated Kristina in bed and gave her some more pain pills. He laid with her until she fell asleep and then headed out to the living room. He had missed a call from Johnny and called him back. "Hey, Johnny, I'm assuming you heard what happened?"

"Yeah, sorry, my guys didn't get a chance to get to her in time."

"Thanks, but I don't think there was anything they could do anyway."

"Listen, the security went right over to the garage the car was towed too to check it out as a precaution and, Ethan, the reports not official yet, but it doesn't look good."

"What are you telling me, Johnny?"

"It seems that the brakes were tampered with."

"Damn it!" Ethan yelled, but then quickly lowered his voice as to not wake Kristina. "I'm going to kill the son of a bitch."

"You know who did it?"

"I might have a lead. Look, Johnny, Alexis is coming over to see her daughter. I'm going to be stepping out for a minute. Can you send the guys over to keep watch on this place?"

"Look out your window, pal."

Ethan pushed open the curtains and saw the black SUV sitting across the street. "Black Escalade? Can they be any more obvious, mate?"

"I know, I know. I sent them out immediately this morning. I'll send someone to switch out the vehicle."

"Thanks, mate."

"Be careful, man."

"I'll keep in touch."

Kristina was still sleeping when Alexis arrived, making it easy for Ethan to slip out. He had told Alexis he was going out to get some supplies to help keep Kristina occupied over the next few days. He entered the TV station and headed straight into Trey's office where Trey was standing in front of his desk, giving him no time to react.

Ethan gripped Trey by his jacket and slammed him up against the wall with so much force, a painting next to him fell to the floor. "Did you do it? Did you tampered with the breaks? What you can't have her so no one will? Is that it?"

Ethan's forearm was pressed up against Trey's neck, making it difficult for him to speak. "I don't, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play stupid, mate. You can't stand the fact that Kristina is with me. You're lucky she made it out of that accident okay, or believe me you would have lost your life five seconds ago."

"I didn't do anything to Kristina. I love her. Why would I try to hurt her?"

Ethan wanted answers from Trey. He released his grip on him. "I don't know, maybe because you realize how bad you screwed up and what you lost."

"Of course I know that I screwed up. I would love nothing more than for Kristina to come back to me, but I understand why she doesn't want to. And I hate the thought of her being with you, but I would never want to hurt her because of it. I want her to be happy, even if it is with you."

Ethan didn't know what to think anymore. Someone was trying to hurt him and Kristina and he still couldn't be sure who it was. "Stay away from Kristina, Trey. And don't let me find out that you had anything to do with her getting hurt."

"Is she okay?" Trey asked.

Ethan didn't believe that Trey deserved any information on Kristina. He simply swung a right hook and knocked Trey to the ground. "That's for the flowers. Leave Kristina alone! Or the next time we meet you won't be able to get back up. I can promise you that."

* * *

Careful not to be noticed, they stayed back as far as they could. Coat zipped up and hood pulled over their head. Watching every move Ethan made. He grabbed several magazines, snacks and juice. He walked up to the counter and the cashier started joking around with him.

"You like the gossip mags I see." She said.

"No, they're not for me. They're for my girlfriend." He laughed, paid and then walked back out to his Jeep.

They slammed the door hard getting back into their car and almost hit another vehicle trying to speed back up behind Ethan's. They stopped a block away and watched as Ethan got out of his Jeep and disappeared into his loft. Anger had set in again. The plan didn't work this time, but next time it surely would.

**Author's note: Sorry for the long delay. This story will be ending in the next chapter or two. I will get them up as soon as I can! I realize this chapter could've been written better, but I have not had much time to write on this lately and really wanted to get it up. Thanks again for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Ethan, you have kept me in this loft for four days now. I'm going stir crazy!"

"Sorry, love, but you heard Epiphany. You need your rest." He told her as he sat a breakfast tray next to the bed.

She loved that Ethan had been taking care of her over the last few days, but honestly now it was starting to bug the crap out of her. "Ethan, honey," She grabbed hold of his hand. "I am fine. All I have left are some ugly looking bruises. I am in no pain. I haven't taken a pain pill since yesterday. And honestly if you don't let me leave this place today then you are going to be the one taking what's left of them."

They had been so lovey dovey lately that Kristina's tiny rant assured him that she was okay. He loved this feisty side of her, but truth was he was trying to keep her inside for as long as he could. He was still no closer to finding out who was behind all of this. Nothing had happened since the accident, which Ethan didn't seem to think was such a good thing. He wanted to have this all taken care of before Kristina was ready to leave. This didn't seem like it was going to be happening. "Come on, Krissy, just humor me for another day or two. I'm just not ready to release you back into the world. That accident really scared me."

"Babe, it hasn't snowed in days. The roads are clear and I'm sorry, but I already made plans with Maxie to go shopping."

"Shopping? What do you need to go shopping for? I can go and get you anything that you want. How about I go to the store, pick up some ice cream and…" He kissed softly on her lips and nibbled on her earlobe. "we make good use of the whip cream in the refrigerator."

With just the touch of Ethan, Kristina almost took the bait. "Ethan," His name moaned out of her mouth. "As wonderful and tasty as that sounds, it's going to have to wait. At least until I get back."

"Really, because Kristina, it's been like five days. I really need my fix of you."

"Hey, I seem to remember trying to get you to touch me yesterday and you were afraid that I was still too hurt." She pushed him out of the way and got out of the bed. "I'm meeting Maxie in an hour. I need a dress for tomorrow night."

"What's tomorrow night?" He asked.

Her eyes widened when she looked back at him. "Don't even think for one minute that we are staying in on our first New Years Eve together."

He knew he was going to get a rough go with this one, but thought it was worth a shot. "Baby, are you sure you want to go to the Haunted Star? We could still make it special…" He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "We can stay in, just the two of us. I could make you a special dinner and we can drink some champaign and watch the ball drop together."

"Ethan, what is going on with you? Don't get me wrong, I love spending time alone with you, but you're acting really strange right now."

"Nothing is going on. I was just hoping we could skip all the hoopla and enjoy a night in. Sometimes I just don't want to share you with anyone else." Ethan stumbled back and sat back on the bed.

Kristina loved Ethan and wanted to make him happy. As much as she was looking forward to a night out where everyone could see them together, she didn't want to make him do something that he didn't want to do. "I guess if it's what you really want. We can stay home."

Damn, why did this woman's feelings have to affect him so much? She was giving in to him and he was getting what he wanted, so why did he feel so guilty? Of course he knew why, he loved her. A feeling still new to him. "No, love, we'll go out. We'll go to the Star and have a great night."

She did her best to contain her excitement, but still offered him one last chance to back out. "Are you sure?"

"Definitely. I want everyone to see that this no good con man was able to snag the sexiest woman in Port Charles."

"Ethan, while I don't think I am the sexiest woman, I do know that I am the luckiest woman. You are not a no good con man. Quit comparing yourself to someone that you once were so many years ago. You're a good man. A great man. You have no idea how proud I am going to be walking into the Haunted Star on your arm."

Damn she made him feel good. "Alright, but you promise that you will be by my side all night?"

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

As long as he could keep her near him then everything should be okay. Security would always be close by. "So what do you plan on wearing?"

"Well I don't know exactly what the dress will look like, but I can guarantee you that what I have on underneath will have you wanting more than a kiss at midnight." She playfully teased as she walked out of the room and across to the bathroom where she began to run a shower.

Ethan fell back on the bed and covered his face with the palms of his hands. He never could've imagined how much he would want this girl. All he had to do was give in. Let the walls down. He just told himself that it all had to do with timing. This relationship wasn't possible years ago. The friendship needed to be there first. They needed to be apart for him to realize that no one else would ever care for him the way that she did and that she had indeed grown into a beautiful woman, both inside and out. It was perfect timing and nothing and no one was going to tear that apart.

* * *

Ethan had already put on his black dress pants and a plum purple, top of the line, button down shirt, tucked in nicely with a couple of buttons still open at the top. Much aligned to his personal style. He used the time waiting on Kristina to make a few phone calls to Johnny and the security team. "Alright, thanks Johnny. We'll see you soon." He hung up the phone just as Kristina made her entrance.

"Talking to Johnny? Isn't he going to be at the Star tonight?"

Ethan was prepared to answer, but was left speechless as Kristina approached him. The black dress was form fitting with tiny silver beading that was sewn into the fabric that covered the sweetheart bust line. Her hair had been swept up off of her neck where the dress came up to tie behind it. "You're gorgeous."

Kristina reveled in his approval and spun around, showing off her bare back. "You like it?"

"Like it?" He eliminated all the extra space between them. "Are you sure you want to go out tonight?"

"I'll make you a deal. We go to the Haunted Star, see our friends for just a little bit and then I promise you we will be home before midnight."

"You just want to show me off, don't you? I'm just a piece of candy to you, aren't I?" He joked.

"No, not _just_ a piece of candy. I love you and I worked very hard over the last few years to get you to realize that you feel the same. So is it really so bad if I want to show off all that hard work?"

"I'm the lucky one, you know? I'm so thankful that you never gave up on me."

"There was a time that I really thought I was over you."

"I'll never disappoint you again."

"I know." She kissed him. "Now let's go. The sooner we get there the sooner we can leave."

The Star was already filled with people when they arrived. Far off in the corner Lucky stood with his hand placed gently around Elizabeth. The bond that they both once thought broken was beginning to slowly be rebuilt. Luke and Tracy were sharing laughs at the bar. Michael and Sabrina were getting to know each other for the first time as they sat with friends at a table. Kristina's mother was catching up with her ex-husband Rick who had just come back to town and her father was trying so hard to hang on to his love while getting to know all the new sides to her. Ethan and Kristina headed right over to Johnny who himself was busy flirty with a few of the single customers.

"Hey, mate. How's it going?" Ethan shook hands with Johnny.

"Going pretty good. Kristina, you look beautiful." He hugged and kissed her cheek.

"Johnny, the place looks great."

"Thanks, but I had nothing to do with it. Lulu did it all."

Ethan looked over the place, taking in all of its patrons. "The place seems pretty busy already."

"Nothing we can't handle." Johnny assured Ethan. "Come on, let's get you two a drink."

Johnny led the two over to the bar where Ethan remained standing as Kristina took a seat on a stool. "Sorry to hear about you and Carly, Johnny."

"Thanks, Kristina, but as much as I wanted things to work out with her, I have come to realize that I can't make myself be someone that I am not. I have to learn to be okay with who I am and the next person who comes into my life has got to be someone who can accept me as I am." Johnny handed out the drinks and they raised their glasses in preparation for a cheers. "To new begin…ings." Johnny's last word was trailed off because his attention was pulled toward the Haunted Star's entrance. Ethan and Kristina turned in the direction of where Johnny's eyes had fixated to.

The beautiful blonde walked in alone. Her hair was twisted up and pulled away from her flawless face. Her white flowing dress stopped several inches above the knee and was cinched in at the waist by a thick silver, sparkly belt. Her bare shoulders had been powdered with shimmer and her tiny hands clenched tightly onto her silver clutch. She looked anxious and nervous, something people who knew her were not used to seeing exude from her.

"Maxie!" Kristina jumped up and rushed over to her.

Maxie smiled as soon as she heard her name being called and seen Kristina rushing over to her. She had been a wreck deciding whether she was going to go out tonight or not. She could sit at home and pity herself for being alone on New Years or she could go out, alone, and ring in the new year with friends around her. Seeing Kristina reminded her that she had made the right decision. "Hey, girl." Now that she had connected with someone right away, it allowed for all the feelings of loneliness to instantly disappear.

"I'm so glad you decided to come out tonight."

Maxie saw the sincerity in Kristina and appreciated every word of it. There was a friendship here now that she had come to value so much over the last year. "Well you know me, I can't stay away from a great party."

"Ethan's at the bar with Johnny, come join us."

The two ladies made their way back to the bar, completely unaware of the attention their beauty was getting from the crowd.

Ethan greeted Maxie with a hug. "Hello, Maxie."

"Hey, Ethan." She then looked at Johnny who was still standing behind the bar. "Hi, Johnny. It's been awhile. How are you?"

"Well the night just got better. Maxie, you're stunning."

"Thanks, you have no idea how much I needed to hear that tonight." Her eyes were locked with Johnny's, letting the energy flow back and forth between the two of them. This wasn't a new thing Maxie was experiencing. All of her senses seemed to heighten whenever she was around Johnny.

Ethan and Kristina both noticed the intensity now in the air. "Hey, Krissy, why don't we go say hello to our parents before they start thinking we have something to hide by avoiding them."

"Yeah, I agree. Maxie, we'll be right back." Kristina locked her hand with Ethan's and they walked off. "What was that?"

Ethan grinned. "That, love, was Johnny finding his own Kristina."

* * *

She couldn't go into the Star as a guest. She would be recognized and her problem hadn't been solved yet. The timing of her reappearance had to be perfect. She waited outside for the opportunity that she knew would eventually come.

* * *

Back inside Kristina was glowing from a few times around the dance floor with Ethan. She excused herself from him to allow herself to freshen up in the restroom. Ethan glanced over at a gentleman in the corner of the room, but the man was already on it. He watched Kristina enter the bathroom alongside Maxie before beginning his conversation with Johnny.

"Maxie, I forgot my purse. I'll be right back."

Ethan and Johnny's backs were to her when she picked up her purse off of the table. She was about to turn back toward the restroom when she heard Ethan mutter her name.

"No, Kristina still has no idea. She'd freak out if she knew someone tampered with her breaks on purpose." Ethan told Johnny.

"I don't know, man, I don't think Kristina would be too happy about you keeping this from her."

"I'm protecting her, Johnny. I'm going to find out who is behind all of this and she'll never have to know."

Kristina's smile quickly faded away. Ethan had been lying to her. Whether he thought he was keeping her safe or not, he should've been honest with her. He promised he would never disappoint her again. She felt like that young naïve girl again that Ethan didn't think could take care of herself. She was hurt and angry. Kristina took two steps backwards before turning around and running out the doors of the Star. The cold winter air didn't stop Kristina until she was at Ethan's Jeep. She pulled the keys out from her purse, unlocked the door and got in and wasted no time in taking herself back home. Several minutes later she pulled into the lot of the Floating Rib. Wanting something stiffer than what their loft had in stock, Kristina let herself into the closed bar. She poured herself two fast shots of tequila before finally taking a deep breath and allowing herself to think about what had happened. Had she just acted foolish in taking off like she did? Sure she was angry with Ethan for lying to her, but to leave like she did without talking to him about it, was she proving to him that she couldn't handle any complex situation? The old, immature Kristina would handle things like this, not who she was now. She reached in her purse and grabbed her cell phone. She needed to call him.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Haunted Star, Maxie walked back up to Ethan and Johnny.

"Hey, are you ready to dance some more?" Johnny asked Maxie.

"Maybe in a minute."

"Maxie, where's Kristina?" Ethan asked as he glanced over the room.

"Isn't she out here?"

"No, she went to the restroom with you."

"Well she did, but she forgot her purse. She said she would be right back, but she never did, so I figured she must have gotten held up by someone."

Johnny could see Ethan's whole body tense up. "Victor!" Johnny hollered to the security guy standing in front of the restroom.

"What's going on?" Maxie asked, sensing something was wrong, but her question went unanswered.

Victor approached them and Ethan was quick to question him. "Where's Kristina?"

"What do you mean? She's in the restroom."

"She came right back out. Where did she go?" Ethan was inches away from the man's face, doing everything he could to keep his composure.

The man looked worriedly at Johnny. "I don't… I don't know. I figured the girls would be a minute so I went and got some water."

"You idiot!" Ethan grabbed roughly onto the front of Victor's suit.

"Ethan, not now. We have to find Kristina, it's only been a few minutes. She can't be far." Johnny turned to Victor. "Call all of your team on this boat, find out if they've seen her."

"She probably heard us talking, Johnny."

"I'm sure she did. Let's go. Maxie, stay here. Call me if she comes back. Please try to come up with something if anyone asks where we went."

Maxie just nodded. She knew there was no time to ask questions.

Ethan had already pulled out his phone and began to dial Kristina.

* * *

Just seconds earlier, Kristina had Ethan's name pulled up on her phone and was ready to hit send when she realized she was not alone.

"Hello Kristina."

Startled, Kristina dropped the phone down on the bar. She was surprised to see the person standing in front of her. It had been quite some time since the last time that she seen her.

"Maya, you scared me. What are you doing here?"

Maya slowly moved to the end of the counter, taking away Kristina's comfort of having the bar between them. "I got fired from my job."

Kristina's instincts told her that something was not right and the empty look in Maya's eyes confirmed it. "Maya, I'm sorry to hear that." Kristina allowed herself to briefly take her eyes off of Maya's and bring them down to the object that she was holding down at her side.

Maya looked down at the gun in her hand. "They said I couldn't stay focused." She laughed and then eerily looked back up at Kristina. "I had heard Ethan was back. I came back to surprise him. Tell him that I still loved him."

Kristina's phone started ringing on the counter, but she was no longer near it. Kristina had backed herself up against the wall. She was trapped behind the bar and Maya was slowly inching her way toward her. They both looked at the ringing phone. "That's probably Ethan, I should get that." Kristina tried to stay calm, but her voice was coming out shaky.

"I don't have much time." Maya pulled up on her arm and had the gun pointed straight at Kristina.

"Maya, I don't understand. Why are you doing this?"

Maya's voice stayed soft. "I never expected to come back and find you with Ethan, but then again you have always been in the way, Kristina."

"You were the one that left him, Maya."

"I was confused and not in a good place. I'm better now."

Clearly she wasn't any better. She needed help. Kristina thought she would try to make her see that. "Maya, this isn't the way to get Ethan back. Please, put down the gun. I'll leave Ethan, you can have him all to herself. I promise."

"You'll always be there. You were always there. Whenever I turned around you were there… trying to get Ethan to notice you. You preyed on his weakness for you. You knew that Ethan was the type of guy that didn't want to see a young girl hurting. You took him away from me every chance that you got."

"I'm sorry, Maya. Please don't do this." Fear had now overcome her and tears were beginning to stream down her face.

"I have too. Then I will give Ethan a day or two to grieve and then I will come in and be there for him. He will see that I love him and find his way back to me. It's perfect." She took two more steps toward Kristina.

There was nothing Kristina could do. Nowhere to go. She closed tightly on her eyes as she prepared to die. Ethan's face was the only thing in her mind. "Ethan, I love you." She whispered.

"Goodbye, Kristina. Just know that I will take care of him." Maya raised her other hand to join the one already holding the gun.

"Maya!" Ethan yelled as he burst into the Rib. Both women breathed out his name. "Maya, put down the gun!"

"Ethan, I can't do that."

"Yes, you can. Maya, put down the gun. This is not who you are. You are not a murderer."

For the first time since this all began, Maya started to show some emotion as she began to cry. "Ethan, I love you. I just want to be with you."

"Okay, Maya, but killing Kristina isn't going to do that."

"She's always in the way, Ethan!" She shouted. "She confuses you. If she's gone, you can give yourself to me completely without ever questioning how you feel for her!"

Ethan locked eyes for a quick second with Kristina. The fear coming through on her was gut wrenching for Ethan to see. He had to get her out of this. "I'm happy you're back, Maya. I've missed you. Kristina was only a substitute for you. Now that you're here, I don't need her. But Maya, I cannot be with a murderer. Put the gun down and come with me. We can go talk somewhere. We'll figure out where we go from here."

Maya was shaking. She looked back and forth between Ethan and Kristina. "Do you still love me?"

Ethan could see that he was breaking through to her. "Yes, Maya. I have always loved you and only you."

Slowly Maya lowered the gun and walked out from behind the bar. Gun still down at her side, she proceeded to move toward Ethan. She tossed her empty hand over Ethan's shoulder and almost collapsed in his arms as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Ethan's hand moved slowly down Maya's arm. "Give me the gun, baby." He looked to Kristina and they exchanged unspoken words.

Maya opened her eyes in time to see Kristina's reflection from the mirror in front of her. She was about to hand over the gun to Ethan when she seen Kristina mouth the words "I love you" to Ethan and she felt Ethan's head nod back to her. She gripped firmly back on the gun and pushed Ethan away from her. "Liar!" She screamed and pointed the gun back at Kristina who was now only several feet away from them.

"Maya, Maya, don't do this!" Ethan Pleaded.

"I hate you, you bitch!" Maya shouted before pulling the trigger.

Two shots were fired. Ethan fell to the floor in front of Kristina after he jumped in front of the bullet meant for her.

"Ethan!" Kristina shrieked and ran over to him. Pulling up on his head and placing it on her lap.

Johnny's one shot hit Maya in her chest and she laid motionless on the floor. He knelt down on the other side of Ethan and pulled out his phone where he dialed 911.

Ethan's eyes were wide as he stared up at Kristina. His breathing was erratic and he was losing a lot of blood. "Ethan, don't leave me. I love you, don't leave me!" Kristina sobbed and brushed back on Ethan's hair while she rubbed gently on his head. "Help is on the way."

Johnny put pressure on Ethan's wound. "Come on, buddy, stay with us."

Maya could feel the life slipping out of her. She watched as Johnny and Kristina tended to Ethan while she laid by herself dying. It wasn't fair. With every bit of strength she had left, she lifted her arm one last time and aimed her gun.

The piercing pain shot through Kristina's stomach. She was only able to let out a grunt as she looked into Ethan's knowing eyes. One more shot had been fired as Johnny sent one more bullet Maya's way, ending per life for good.

Kristina's tiny body slumped forward before collapsing completely next to Ethan. Their bodies laid opposite with Kristina's head down by Ethan's waist. Ethan did his best to call out to his friend. "Johnny." He stuttered. "Help her."

Ethan didn't even have to tell him. Johnny was already next to Kristina where he pulled off his shirt and held it firmly on Kristina's stomach. "You're going to be okay, Kristina, you hear me?"

Kristina could hear the sirens coming, but things were starting to blur. Johnny's face looking down on her was beginning to look distorted.

Their bodies laid still on the cold floor beneath them, but their hands slowly inched their way together. Once Ethan felt Kristina's tiny hand he used every ounce of strength he had left to intertwine his fingers with hers, only to be forced apart when the paramedics began to work on them.

Ethan was going in and out of consciousness the whole way to the hospital, but whether awake or not, his thoughts never left Kristina. He had finally found the love of his life and he couldn't lose her now. He knew she was a fighter and if anyone could pull through this, she could. Whether he made it or not, she had too. The world would lose so much without her in it.

Kristina kept herself fighting to stay awake by envisioning her future with Ethan. A future she had fought so hard to have the potential of getting. She seen a flash of a wedding and then flashed forward to picnic at a park with two young children dancing around them. She flashed years forward to them sitting on a porch old and gray and holding hands as they looked forward at a lawn full of grandchildren. This was the life meant for her and Ethan and she had to pull through to get it. She heard the machines beeping loudly around her and she knew that wasn't good, but she also knew that Ethan was fighting just as hard to stay with her.

They pulled into the hospital at the same time. Their gurney's side by side as they were rolled in. Johnny stayed with them until the staff wouldn't allow him to go any further. His heart ached for his friends. He collapsed to his knees when he realized that Ethan and Kristina's hands were connected to each other from across their rolling beds. He knew in that moment that he would never settle until he had that kind of love. It was the kind of love that made it through everything. Johnny prayed that it was enough.

Midnight came and Kristina and Ethan were not in each other's arms as they had planned. They laid in separate operating rooms fighting for their lives. Fighting for the life they wanted to have together.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry about the long wait!**

* * *

The faint voices were increasingly becoming louder in her ears. Her eyelids struggled to open. Standing by a doorway, across from where she laid, the blurred vision was becoming clearer allowing her to make out three men and one woman standing having a conversation. She wanted to speak and call out to her mother who was getting louder by the minute as she spoke to the tall older man in a white coat, but no sound seemed to be coming out. She recognized the man standing next to her mother to be her father. She tried calling to him but again nothing. Her eyes shifted back and forth frantically as she took in her surroundings. This was not her room from home and these were not her nightly pajamas. Her tearful eyes noted the IV coming out from her arm and as all her senses came back through her body, she could feel the oxygen tubes that were inserted into her nostrils. Something was wrong. What was she doing in a hospital? What had happened? Kristina was becoming more scared by the second. Her tiny body was becoming more and more anxious causing her monitors to start beeping like crazy. All four bodies standing turned at once and seen Kristina with her eyes wide open with fear.

"Kristina!" Alexis shouted as she ran along the side of the bed, using one hand to grab onto Kristina's hand as her other brushed back on her daughter's hair as a way of trying to calm her. "Kristina, baby, you're awake. Are you okay? Are you hurting?" Her words seemed rushed and came out shaky as she was overcome with emotions from seeing her daughter finally wake up.

Kristina opened her mouth so she could ask her mother what happened but trying to push out the words made her throat ache.

"Its' okay baby, don't try to speak right now." Alexis turned her head briefly to address Sonny who was standing right next to her. "Sonny, please get Kristina some water. It's okay if she has some water, right Doctor?" She then asked the man who was currently going over all the reports coming from Kristina's monitors to which he nodded his approval. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart. Just move your head and tell me if you are in any pain, okay?"

Kristina started with her toes and when she was sure there was no pain, she assessed the next part up on her body. Ankles, legs, knees, thighs, all seemed to be pain free. After clearing her hips, she finally located the source of her discomfort. A slight and subtle ache knotted at her stomach. Kristina's hands quickly moved over the tender area.

"She needs something more for the pain Doc." For the first time, Kristina looked to her left and noticed a man standing there. He cuffed his hands over hers as they laid upon her stomach. "You're going to be okay, love. God you had us scared."

Kristina took a second to look deep into the young man's eyes, searching for anything that would tell her who he was. She knew nothing of this man who clearly believed that he knew her. She turned her head slightly, thinking that maybe at a different angle it would come to her. Her mind was blank, she did not know this man.

"Kristina?" Ethan called her name, puzzled at her empty eyes.

Suddenly Kristina saw herself, unsure where, but she was kneeling down. She was crying, but she wasn't sure why. She struggled as she fought to remember, but wasn't sure if she was seeing a memory or a dream. Then her hands pulled fearfully out from under Ethan's hands when a loud popping sound blast through her head.

The machines were going berserk and Kristina tried to pull herself closer over to her mother and away from Ethan. She wasn't sure why, but this strange man claiming to know her had her extremely frightened.

Ethan took a step back when he realized her fear was a result of him. "Krissy?"

Alexis held her hand up across to Ethan as if she was telling him to keep a distance while she questioned the current situation. "Sweetheart, it's okay, it's Ethan."

Kristina looked up at her mother with the same fear still pouring out from her.

Confused by her reaction to Ethan, Alexis asked her daughter. "Kristina, you know who this is, don't you?"

Not letting go of her mother's hands, Kristina slowly moved her head back to face Ethan. She did not know this man and though she wasn't sure why, she feared him. She shook her head and let out a raspy "No."

"Love, what do you mean? It's me." Ethan regained his step closer to her which only resulted in her shifting uncomfortably once again as she gripped tightly onto her mother.

"Sweetheart, just give me a second, okay? I'll be right back." Alexis let go of Kristin's hands, but Kristina was reluctant on releasing her grip. "Just for a minute, honey. I'm going to see Ethan out, but I'll be right back."

"Alexis, I'm not going anywhere." Ethan tried to stay calm but was stern.

"Ethan, please, let's just go and talk in the hall real quick. You don't want Kristina getting any more upset, do you?"

"But…"

"Ethan, please?"

Ethan wanted to plead his case, but knew that Alexis was right. Kristina should not be getting upset right now.

Kristina watched as the click of Alexis's shoes led her out of the hospital room. The man her mother called Ethan followed slowly behind her as he held onto the front of his own stomach as if he was cradling some sort of pain himself.

"Alexis, I don't care what you have to say, I am not leaving her."

"Ethan, I know you want to be here with Kristina, but for whatever reason she doesn't remember you right now, and quite frankly you're scaring her."

"She just woke up, she's going to remember me. She just needs a minute, I'm sure."

"And I'm sure that's all it is, Ethan, but come on, you seen her in there with you. Why don't you let the doctors examine her and maybe give her a little time to process what happened to her and then you can come back. I'm sure after that she'll be begging to see you."

"I know, you're right. It's just that she was in that coma for three weeks. I need her."

"Ethan, why don't you go get some coffee and make a few phone calls for me. Call her sisters and anyone else you think would want to know and then when you come back I'm sure everything will be fine."

Ethan turned to look in at Kristina through the window. She was watching them. Her recovery was the most important thing. "Fine, I'll make the calls. But then I'm coming right back."

"Thank you." Alexis finished just as sonny was arriving back with a pitcher full of ice water.

"Hey, where's Ethan going?" He asked.

"It was the strangest thing, Sonny. But let's talk about it with Kristina. She's got a lot of questions in there."

They both walked back into Kristina's room and began to tell her everything.

Ethan did just as Alexis had asked. He called Sam and Molly as well as Luke and Johnny. He had looked at his watch several times by the time he got his coffee. It had been a full thirty minutes since he left Kristina's room. Surely that would be enough time. He had to get back to her.

He reached her room the same time as Sam did. "Ethan, thanks for calling. How's she doing?"

"Actually I don't know any more than when I called you. You're mom is in there with her right now. Come on, I'll go in with you."

Sam walked in and Ethan followed. "Krissy!" Sam smiled and practically ran to her.

"Sam!" She gently wrapped her arms around her sister giving her a full view of Ethan. Her eyes went directly to her mother.

"Ethan." Alexis stopped him from coming any further by stepping in front of him and putting her hand on his chest. "I still don't think this is the best time for you to be here."

"What are you talking about? She knows who I am now, right?" He looked past Alexis to Kristina. "Kristina you remember me now, don't you?"

Kristina had been told everything from her mom and dad. About Ethan being her boyfriend and getting shot a few weeks ago by his ex girlfriend. But honestly, she couldn't remember any of it. She remembered everything about her life and everyone in it. Everyone but Ethan.

"I don't understand what's going on." Sam turned to look at her mother. "Kristina doesn't remember Ethan?"

"Of course he does…" Ethan moved toward Kristina.

"Stop!" Kristina called out.

"Ethan, can you come back out to the hall with me?" Alex asked.

"No, Alexis. I am not going out to the hall. What the hell is going on here? Kristina, it's me, your boyfriend. I love you and you love me."

Kristina shifted her eyes between all of her family before finally landing them on Ethan. "I'm… I'm really sorry… but I don't remember anything about us."

"Come on, love. We have so much history together, as friends… best friends and then finally…" He reached for her hand and she jerked it away.

The fear had returned to her eyes. "Please leave." She whispered.

"Krissy, don't." He begged as tears began to form on the inner ledge of his eyes.

"I want you to leave, please." Kristina asked, trying her best to remain calm.

"You don't mean that. Kristina, I love you. You don't mean that. Please."

Sonny, feeling his daughter's distress began to gently pull back on Ethan's shirt. "Come on, son. She doesn't need this right now."

"No, Sonny!" Ethan yelled. "Why doesn't she remember me? She remembers all of you, but not me? How does that happen?"

Alexis walked up beside Ethan. "Ethan, the doctors think it's probably just temporary. She almost lost her life and right now her brain has decided that the best way for her to deal with that trauma is to block it all out and apparently the people that were involved in that trauma."

Ethan swallowed hard. "I love her, Alexis. Whether she knows it right now or not, she loves me too." He looked back over at Kristina. "Krissy, I love you. Baby, come on, you know that!"

Kristina began to cry. "Please leave now."

Sonny once again began to pull Ethan toward the door. "Let me go, Sonny!" He protested.

Kristina's cries became louder. "Leave!" She shouted.

Ethan finally stopped fighting against Sonny's pull. Whatever Kristina had felt for Ethan in the past and whether it would come back later or not, it was not here now. He didn't want to cause Kristina any pain. "Fine, I'll leave." He began to walk backwards out of the room.

"Ethan!" Sam called. "I… I'll call you later." Though Sam could see how upset Kristina was with Ethan in the room, she knew that it would be killing him not knowing how she was doing. She would call him later and give him any updates.

Ethan nodded and reluctantly turned out of Kristina's room.

* * *

Johnny walked into the Floating Rib not knowing what he was walking into. Just a text from his friend telling him to meet him up there. The place was pretty much empty except for a few locals and Ethan sitting up at the bar.

He took the seat next to him and signaled for Coleman to bring him a beer. "What's up, pal? I expected you to be at Kristina's bedside until they released her to go home."

Ethan threw back a shot. "I wish I could be."

"What does that mean?"

Ethan sighed heavily. "Well it means that Kristina does not want me there."

"Okay, I think I'm missing something here. Kristina doesn't want you there?"

"That's right. Apparently I have caused her so much pain that her mind has told her that I am not worth remembering."

"Are you telling me that Kristina has amnesia?"

"No, not exactly. You see, she remembers everyone in her life, everyone but me."

Johnny was having a hard time following. "Ethan, can you please try explaining this a little better for me?"

"Well that's it, really. Kristina woke up and remembered everyone but me. The doctors say it's just her way of dealing with what happened to her."

"So it's only temporary."

Ethan drank some more. "I don't know, Johnny. That's what the doctors are saying, but you should have seen her. When she woke up she looked at me as if I was the one who pulled the trigger. She was so afraid of me. She couldn't even handle me being in the room."

Johnny's heart was feeling heavy for his friend. "Listen, if there's one thing I know for sure in this world, it's that that girl loves you. You just need to give her some time. I know she's going to remember everything very soon. She's been through a lot recently, but she'll get there, bro."

"I hope your right, because I can't live without her."

* * *

Four days had gone by without Ethan being able to see Kristina. Sam called Ethan a couple times a day to fill him in on Kristina's progress. If she didn't call, he was blowing up her phone. Unfortunately Kristina still had no memory of him. She was set to be released from the hospital today and Ethan was devastated that she wouldn't be returning to the home they shared together.

He pulled off the road as he approached the lake house. Parking his Jeep several feet off the road so it wouldn't be seen when Alexis's car would come down the drive. He waited until the vehicle safely passed before walking along side the long gravel driveway. Careful not to be seen, he stayed hidden in the trees. Alexis had asked him not to come over just yet, but he needed to see for himself that she was okay.

Alexis, Sam and Molly all quickly got out of the car. Molly ran straight for the door of the house to unlock it, while Alexis opened the back door of the car and helped Kristina out. Just seeing her face brought out a smile on Ethan, something he had been lacking since first being dismissed out of Kristina's hospital room. He watched until all the women had gone in through the door and stayed several minutes longer though he could no longer see them. Every inch of his being was aching to go see her, hold her and kiss her. But she still wanted nothing to do with him, so he would wait. He would wait until the time was right. Just hopefully he wouldn't have to wait too much longer.

* * *

Kristina was moving around much better now. Her spirits were lifting up and she was enjoying sharing some laughs with her family. But staying in was starting to drive her crazy. Though most of her wound had healed while she was in the hospital, it was still a bit tender to the tough. Her mother was being overly protective by trying to keep her at the lake house, but this day, Kristina had other plans. She let her mother set up her lunch and line her up with dvd's to play for the day while she took Molly to a play in the city. But as soon as they had cleared the house, Kristina was ready to leave herself. She grabbed her car keys from the desk drawer, grabbed her purse and headed out on her way.

She was getting ready to walk into Kelly's when she heard the chuckles coming from behind her. She turned around to see two girls she had gone to high school with and hadn't seen since. "Excuse me? Did you say something?" She asked them.

One of the girls squared her shoulders to Kristina. "We were just discussing how we don't think it's fair that you cheated death as it would have been the perfect karma after what you did to Kiefer."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding? Kristina, you should've died after all the lies you told about Kiefer. He was a good guy and you just…"

"Hey!" The deep voice came shouting from around the corner. "Why don't you two bitches keep moving? Kelly's doesn't need trash like you hanging out in front, scaring off it's better clientele."

Kristina was surprised to see Ethan coming to her rescue. Her stomach sank for a brief second.

"Whatever!" The girls rolled their eyes and walked off.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ethan asked her, careful not to move in any closer to her. She didn't answer, but she didn't move away from him either. He took this as a good sign.

"Listen, I'm sorry, I'm not following you I promise. I was just coming to get some coffee."

Kristina still had no idea who this guy was, but she had listened to every word that her sister Molly had told her about him. She didn't fear him anymore like she did at first, but if she had loved him so much like everyone was saying, then way did she not feel any of those feelings when she looked at him. "I was just getting some lunch."

He wanted to badly to just run up and wrap his arms around her, but he resisted. She would remember him soon. She had too. "Um, go ahead, go in. I can get my coffee down the street."

She waited a second, studying him. There was one thing she did recognize on him. Pain. He was clearly hurting inside. She broke her gaze and headed to the door to Kelly's, but stopped short and turned back around. "Thanks for stopping those girls. They don't bother me, but it was nice of you to help out."

"I know you don't remember, but it's kind of our thing." He chuckled.

She didn't know why, but she giggled herself. "Well… anyway… thanks." She opened the door.

"Krissy!" He hollered and she looked back. "If you ever need to talk, you know, about anything, I'm here. In fact, I'm waiting."

Kristina didn't think she would ever feel the need to call him, but she smiled back and nodded. The fact was she did feel something for this man, but it was sadness in the fact that she was clearly causing this unknown man so much pain.

She closed her eyes and let the door close behind her before walking straight up to the counter.

"Kristina."

It took her a brief second for her head to recognize the male voice calling her name, but as soon as she did she turned around and grinned ear to ear. "Johnny!"


End file.
